Mesothelioma Research

No matter what type of cancer you have or disease you always want to know that doctors are working on finding a cure.

For Mesothelioma like many other cancers still have no cure.

However doctors are still continuing to find new treatments and hopefully one day a cure.

The downfall with mesothelioma is so many people are diagnosed to late, and unfortunately is in advanced stages.

Because there has been such an up rise in the disease doctors are starting to take more notice in the cancer.

More researchers are on board now and looking for better treatments and hopefully a cure.

All newly developed drugs are tested in clinics by people who already have mesothelioma.
Of course the success of these drugs are found out in these clinics. If they are successful they will be approved by the FDA and marketed, or thrown away and have to start all over again.

Chemotherapy is still the most popular treatment for cancer. It is used to relieve symptoms of mesothelioma and to make the patient feel more comfortable.

They are making progress with chemotherapy vs the cancer but still not a cure.
The newest drug is Alimta,when used with another long-used chemo drug called Cisplatin, this is the only FDA approved agent specifically used to fight malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Another drug waiting to be approved by the FDA is called Onconase. Its the first drug in its class that has been shown to target cancer cells while leaving normal cells alone.

There are usually 3 different phases to a clinical trial.

Phase 1-usually they enroll a small group of people and test them on how the new drug is going to react and be administered.

Phase 2-trials usually give early information whether or not a new drug will work. It also provides information about safety and benefits.

Phase 3-they compare the new drugs with the current treatment. Usually people from all over participate in this phase. They will receive the new treatment or the standard treatment.

It's up to you whether you want to participate in a clinical trial. Not everyone is up for being experimented on.

There will always be side effect that are not aware of yet, but the doctors are always there.

Not everybody is going to be eligible to participate in a study, but if you're interested in finding out more information please call toll-free 1-877-FOR-MESO (367-6376)

Also if your interested in seeing all the current clinical trials available please check it out at my website- http://www.mesotheliomadiagnosisandinformation.blogspot.com

It will be under favorite links on the right side of the page.

Rebecca please check out http://www.mesotheliomadiagnosisandinformation.blogspot.com

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Chemotherapy Helps Mesothelioma Survival?

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer in which malignant (cancerous) cells are found in the mesothelium, a protective sac that covers most of the body's internal organs. Each year, more than 2,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed within the United States, many of which end up being terminal.

While there is no one-size-fits-all cure for mesothelioma, researchers and doctors have been working on different treatments to help make this rare form of cancer more manageable. Currently, treatment for mesothelioma generally depends on the location, stage, general health and age of the mesothelioma patient. From that point, patients may receive one or more of a combination of treatments that involve surgery, radiation and/or chemotherapy.

Does Chemotherapy Treatment Work?

Chemotherapy is considered a palliative treatment modality which means that it can help reduce the symptoms of mesothelioma and perhaps the size of the tumors, but it is not curative. Within the last decade, chemotherapy containing cisplatin-antifolate combinations has been shown to improve responses and prolong survival in mesothelioma patients. Based on the successes shown in clinical trials, a trio of research scientists in The Netherlands launched their own population-based study to "assess the impact of this development on clinical practice and survival at a population-based level."

The study focused on 4,731 Dutch patients diagnosed with mesothelioma between 1995 and 2006. For the periods 1995-1998 and 2005-2006, the use of chemotherapy to treat mesothelioma jumped from 8% to 36%. At the same time, median survival for chemotherapy-treated patients increased from 10.1 months in earlier years to 13.1 months in more recent years. The researchers summarized their findings by stating that increased chemotherapy use at the national level did improve survival rates of mesothelioma patients, but they also cautioned that there may still be alternative explanations as to why this is the case.

Alimta and Cisplatin

Cisplatin is a platinum-based chemotherapy drug marketed as Platinol and used to treat a number of different cancers, including mesothelioma, some carcinomas such as small cell lung cancer and ovarian cancer, lymphomas and germ cell tumors. Inside cancer cells, cisplatin and other platinum-based drugs trigger cell death, killing the cancerous cells. In the United States, the platinum-based drug, cisplatin, is usually combined with another drug, Alimta, for treating mesothelioma. Alimta is an antifolate drug, which works by blocking the activity of folic acid inside cells interfering with cellular metabolism.

The FDA approved the Alimta plus cisplatin combination after a clinical trial demonstrated that the two drugs were more effective than one drug. In the July 2003 edition of the Journal of Clinical Oncology the published results reported a median survival time of 12.1 months for mesothelioma patients who received Alimta and cisplatin versus 9.3 months for the mesothelioma patients who just received cisplatin. The researchers also found that the addition of folic acid and vitamin B12 helped to reduce the toxicity of the drugs without adversely affecting survival time.

It is the hope that as research continues there will also continue to be better alternatives (and hopefully a cure) for those who suffer from mesothelioma.

Disclaimer: The information in this article is for educational and informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this article.

Myra D. Foreman writes for Surviving Mesothelioma. This is the only website where this important book is available for free. The book is written by Paul Kraus who was diagnosed with mesothelioma more than a decade ago and is still enjoying life today

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Mesothelioma Symptoms - Deadly Signs of Cancer Diseases

Mesothelioma symptoms are not easy to determine and can be misleading as they often resemble symptoms of respiratory, gastric or cardiovascular disorders, depending on where the cancerous cells are located in the body. Unlike other cancers it is very difficult to detect this deadly cancer at its initial stages because it normally takes decades for the cancerous cells to develop after its initial exposure to the carcinogenic substances. When finally the doctors are positive about the symptoms, in most cases the cancer has already spread to the other parts of the body.

Asbestos is the only known substance responsible for mesothelioma cases. When the particles or dust of asbestos is inhaled for a long period of time, the fibrous material get trapped and built up in the lung tissue as the body doesn't have the ability to remove it. When swallowed, the particles will be accumulated in the abdominal cavity.

The Symptoms:

Pleural Mesothelioma

Pleural Mesothelioma develops in the membrane covering the lungs called pleura. Symptoms may include:

- Dyspnea (short breath)
- Dysphagia (swallowing difficulty)
- Persistent harsh and dry cough, sometimes coughing blood
- Unexplained weight loss
- Chest pain
- Night sweating
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Painful breathing
- Lumps under the chest skin

Peritoneal Mesothelioma

Peritoneal Mesothelioma develops in the membrane covering the abdominal region called peritoneum. Symptoms may include:

- Swelling or painful abdomen
- Changes in bowel habits
- Vomiting or nausea
- Unexplained weight loss
- Anemia
- Night sweating
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Lumps under the abdomen skin due to obstruction of the intestines

Pericardial Mesothelioma

Pericardial Mesothelioma develops in the membrane covering the heart called pericardium. Symptoms may include:

- Dyspnea (short breath)
- Irregular heartbeat
- Chest pain
- Heart palpitations
- Night sweating
- Fever
- Fatigue

Some of the symptoms above can be easily misinterpreted, for example if you are suffering from acid reflux or Barrett's esophagus you can also have similar symptoms such as chest pain, dysphagia (swallowing difficulty), weight loss, persistent coughing and/or blood coughing. A CT scan can help to determine whether the symptoms are due to the malignant mesothelioma disease or not.

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Mesothelioma Cancer Remission And Cell Research

The search for a cure to mesothelioma, the incurable asbestos-related cancer, continues as recently released figures show 2,000 diagnosed cases are recorded annually in the UK, and the number of deaths rose to 66.4 per million people between 2006 and 2008.

The long latency period of between 15 to 50 years before the first signs of mesothelioma or asbestosis symptoms emerge has often been a decisive factor in trying to detect the disease at an early stage in a bid to improve survival rates. In addition, asbestosis treatments involving new research into genetic / cellular behaviour and drug therapy combinations have shown promising results.

Remission has been achieved in some instances, either spontaneously or through the adoption of specialised treatment procedures. While complete remission and the disappearance of all evidence of mesothelioma cancer is rare, long-term mesothelioma survivors may be considered to be in partial remission when they are able to survive for several years after diagnosis, despite the presence of the cancer tumours.

While a surgery procedure is the most likely method, which can lead to prolonging remission, partial or complete remission has also been obtained from other therapies, including systemic chemotherapy, immunotherapy and oxygen therapy. In addition, the sustained application of palliative treatments, which involve significant dietary changes by adopting a vegetarian diet plus nutritional supplements.

Recent research suggests that the nuclei of mesothelioma cells could contain vital clues for predicting patient survival, rather than a prognosis based on the prescribed stage and severity the mesothelioma has reached. Analysis of the nuclei of cell samples was taken from a study group of over 230 patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma.

An evaluation was then made by classification of seven determining features, including variation in appearance, pattern of DNA and proteins, extra proteins, components of the nucleus and abnormal division of the chromosomes.

Analysis of each cell sample revealed that the variation in appearance and the number of dividing cells were directly related to patient prognosis. A three-tier nuclear grade score was created from the observations. The average patient survival for Grade I - 28 months, Grade II - 14 months, and Grade III - 5 months.

The researchers concluded, "Not only was nuclear grade an independent predictor of overall survival, but it was also a stronger discriminator of survival than all currently available factors,". In addition, the nuclear grading system also proved a useful indicator when predicting time to mesothelioma recurrence in patients who underwent complete surgical resection.

Asbestos Victim Advice
Offering clear information, advice and FAQ's on mesothelioma and asbestos related illnesses.

Visit http://www.asbestosvictimadvice.com for more information and advice

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Mesothelioma Life Expectancy - What Can Be Done?

A number of factors are used to determine mesothelioma life expectancy of mesothelioma patients and each patient has a unique case. It works continuously in search of better life expectancy for patients with mesothelioma, so the life expectancy for a patient is better today than it was five years ago.

For mesothelioma patients, the average life expectancy once diagnosed is 4 to 18 months. However, each patient is different and there are many things to consider in each case.

Factors that affect the life expectancy of mesothelioma patients include:

• Stage of the disease
• The point at which it is diagnosed
• If mesothelioma is located or advanced (separate)
• Age of the patient
• Patient's general health
• Types of treatment that are feasible for the patient

There is no cure for this form of cancer

The stage a cancer such as with mesothelioma is an important indicator of how long a patient can expect to live. Unfortunately, there is no cure for mesothelioma, and if you or someone you know has diagnosed a patient with localized or advanced mesothelioma, he or she can have a maximum lifespan of just five years. However, there are cases in which mesothelioma patients have lived longer especially with early detection.

Early detection, aggressive treatment

Some studies have indicated that among patients whose mesothelioma is revealed early and treated aggressively, almost half of the patients expect their mesothelioma life expectancy will be two years and a fifth will have a life expectancy of five years. Among patients whose mesothelioma is advanced, only five percent can expect to live another five years. There new studies down all the time and trials to look for cures and improve quality of life while the patient has this form of cancer.

Be examined

The importance of diagnosing mesothelioma at an early stage cannot be overemphasized. If you worked with asbestos at some time in your life, or if exposed to significant amounts of asbestos in non-work environment, you should see a doctor about the possibility of developing mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases, although you do not have symptoms of mesothelioma. For many patients mesothelioma will not reveal itself for twenty or more years after exposure. This means someone can go almost their whole life without a symptom. If you wait until you have the symptoms of mesothelioma are losing the opportunity to treat the disease at an early stage and extending mesothelioma life expectancy.

For more information on mesothelioma visit Mesothelioma Prognosis

http://www.mesothelioma-prognosis.co

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Mesothelioma Cancer Treatment Possibilites

Mesothelioma cancer is caused by the over exposure to asbestos. This disease is occurs when malignant cells develop the mesothelium which is a kind of lining which covers most of the internal organs of our body. The most common site of this disease is pleura which is the lining of lungs and chest wall. Their occurrences have also been found in peritoneum which is the outer lining of abdominal cavity. Those peoples who have inhaled a lot of asbestos particles are commonly the patients of mesothelioma cancer. Smoking is not at all related to mesothelioma cancer but it certainly increases the risk of asbestos induced cancer.

Some of the symptoms of mesothelioma cancer are
1. Pain and discomfort in the chest wall.
2. Accumulation of fluids in the cavity surrounding the lungs.
3. Breath gets shortened
4. Anemia.
5. Cough associated with wheezing and in some cases-hoarseness.

There are several other symptoms of this cancer and mesothelioma cancer affects different parts of the body and so the symptoms are also different in various cases. In some body parts patients also develop tumor masses due to disease and this affects the body very poorly. In some severe cases of mesothelioma patients can also suffer from jaundice, low blood sugar level, blood clots in veins, lungs and arteries.

Diagnosis
Diagnosis of mesothelioma cancer is very difficult because its symptoms are very common to other disease. Generally patient's medical history helps a lot in finding the disease and for this purpose chest scan and lung functional test id performed to check the conditions of lungs and chest. The chest ray exam reveals the internal report of the patient that whether the patient was exposed to asbestos or not. For different organ different tests are performed to identify the disease as epithelium cancer can be found in any organ in the human body.

Treatment
Mesothelioma cancer is a very rare cancer and it can be treated in different ways, some of the treatments are stated below:

Surgery - surgery in these types of cancers are not very useful and in many cases it has failed. But still if surgery is combined with chemotherapy and radiation, it is quite successful. The chest lining can be removed with the help of surgery but the lung lining is very hard to remove.

Radiation - radiation is for those patients who can tolerate the radiation therapy and some of the major reasons for the success of radiation therapy are that it has cured many of the patients and extended their life by more than 5 years. Radiation mixed with chemotherapy is more useful rather than lone radiation. Many doctors and hospitals use radiation and chemotherapy for treating the patients suffering from mesothelioma cancer.

Chemotherapy - chemotherapy is the only known treatment which has shown tremendous results on mesothelioma cancer and it has significantly shown signs of recovery in patients. Different patients who have gone through chemotherapy treatment has shown a good recovery and their life gets increased by more than a year. Chemotherapy so far is the only treatments which can temporary cure mesothelioma patients.

Immunotherapy - this is the therapy where a patient's immune system is supplied with certain boosts so that they can prevent the cancer. This treatment has shown some positive side regarding the treatment but the practice of immunology was suspended as patients suffer from heavy side effects due to this treatment.

Many peoples have died because of this disease and many are still suffering from these cancer. Researchers are still trying to find a permanent cure to this cancer.. Mesothelioma cancer is a very rare case but still it is very dangerous and there is no permanent cure for this disease. Some of the developed countries like U.S. are constantly trying to find a permanent cure but it seems a bit tough job for the doctors to find a permanent cure. But still mesothelioma cancer patients can live a bit longer by the available treatments. Please Check with your doctor for the best course of action in a particular case.

Therese Marie writes about Mesothelioma Cancer Treatment at [http://www.facingcancernow.com/]

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The World's Most Deadly Disease Mesothelioma Cure Possible

Mesothelioma is one of the deadliest diseases known to man; the average life span of an inflicted person from the time of diagnosis until death is less than 24 months.

It’s a disease that strikes approximately 3,000 United States citizens each and every year; hard working people who have labored for a lifetime to provide for their families, doing the work that keeps this country running and a great place to live. They worked in factories, at shipyards, in mines, for the US military, as engineers, as pipefitters, as steel workers, as auto mechanics, and in so many other professions.

They came home to their loved ones exhausted and covered in dirt and dust; tired, but content that they had a job and were providing for their family. Content that they were putting food on the table and a house over their loved one’s heads. Content that they were working to make a better life for their families in this generation and the next...

But what they didn’t know was that while they were working so hard, they were not only slowly killing themselves, but those that they were working so hard to help; their family, their loved ones.

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Could Natural Therapies Be the Cure For Mesothelioma Cancer?

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer which occurs in the cells surrounding the organs called the mesothelial cells. Mesothelioma occurs most frequently in the tissues covering the lungs and is nearly always caused by exposure to asbestos.

It is usually over 20 years before asbestos related cancer is diagnosed and the prognosis for patients is hardly ever positive. Traditional treatment include chemotherapy, but in recent years there has been more effort and time spent researching alternative treatments that will help to eradicate the disease or improve a sufferer's quality of life.

A lot of these treatments are still in testing and research stages, but an increasing number of those suffering with the disease are willing to take a chance to see if these treatments can help them.

Vitamin C has been trialled as a cure at the Vale of Leven Hospital in Scotland and reportedly had 'excellent results'. It was administered in quite high doses by the chief surgeon and was deemed successful, although in other studies have reported minimal or no success.

Iscador, a natural remedy, is the trading name of Viscum album, a particular species of mistletoe,, which has been said to reduce the effects of cancer. Very few experts suggest Viscum album reduces tumour size, but stimulation of the immune system, an improved in general health well being, and a reversion of cancerous cells into less damaging forms are some of its benefits.

Astragulus is another plant based remedy, which is a native Chinese plant which has been studied as a remedy in China. One such study concluded that if chemotherapy was combined with injections of Astragulus then the development of tumours could be inhibited and the function of the immune system could be improved.

No alternative therapies have been completely endorses as successful as of yet, but the advancements in the way we can treat and reduce the effects of asbestos cancer imply that experts are getting closer to finding ways of increasing life expectancy in patients, or perhaps even finding a cure.

Need more information on asbestos law? asbestos claim solicitors Oliver & Co are asbestos experts and their site has more details relating to asbestos and its effects.

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Asbestos Mesothelioma - The 3 Things You Should Do to Cure Mesothelioma

Even if you are undergoing chemotherapy, radiation treatment or alternative treatments for asbestos mesothelioma, you need to make sure your body is in prime fighting condition. The more time and energy, your body requires to deal with other health issues, is more time and energy that it can't use to eliminate the cancer in your body.

First, you need to ensure that you are eating the best foods to fuel your body. You don't want to make things worse for your body by introducing toxic foods or foods that create an extra burden for your body. The simplest way to do this is to increase the amount of raw fruits and vegetables in your diet. Also eat more natural unprocessed grains such as multi grain breads or crackers. Eliminate as much processed foods as you can. If it comes in a box, a can or a bag, it's more than likely a processed food. A National Cancer Institute study showed a strong link between cancer and meat consumption, so try to cut out as much meat as possible, especially red meat. Consider switching to a vegetarian diet. And if you really want to do as much as you can, switch to a raw food organic diet.

Secondly, increase your oxygen levels. Dr. Otto Warburg, a German cancer specialist, won the 1931 Nobel prize for his work on oxygen and cancer cells. He showed that cancer cells can not survive in a highly oxygenated environment. He found that certain foods have enzymes that can dramatically increase your oxygen absorption in your cells. Also, practice deep breathing exercises every day to provide the source of that oxygen that your body needs.

Thirdly, reduce your sugar consumption. Eating processed sugars such as pop, candy and deserts creates an insulin "shock" to your body because unlike natural fruits, which require time to digest, processed "sugar foods" virtually inject sugar into your bloodstream immediately. Your body reacts by secreting huge amounts of insulin, which not only converts that sugar to fat, but more importantly, it acts to shut down your immune system. Eating one cup of sugar a day, which could be found in a two litre bottle of pop would suppress your immune system for approximately 12 hours! That's half a day that your immune system can't seek and destroy cancer cells. That's also half a day that the asbestos mesothelioma cancer cells can grow out of control.

There are many more actions that you can take to fight cancer. Check out the resource box below to find out more.

To learn more about new mesothelioma treatments that you can do at home visit: New Mesothelioma Treatment. Read about other people that have beaten cancer using this immunotherapy.

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Mesothelioma: Different Ways to Cure It

Treatment approaches to malignant mesothelioma consist of curative procedures and practices of palliative care.

As their label implies, potentially curative procedures are done with the intent to cure patients of the disease. The main goal of these procedures is the complete removal of gross disease. Residual microscopic disease is typically blasted away with the use of adjuvant therapy, which usually takes the form of a combination of chemo and radiotherapy. Studies have shown that a trimodality approach that combines surgery with radiation and chemotherapy or with other new approaches such as gene therapy, photodynamic therapy or immunotherapy are more effective at arriving a cure.

An example of a potentially curative procedure that is done for pleural mesothelioma is pleurectomy or decortication. This is usually done on patients who are in stages I and II of the malignant mesothelioma. Removal of all gross tumor is attempted with this procedure. If the complete removal of the tumor necessitates the removal of the lung, then a concurrent pneumonectomy is also performed.

A more radical approach that can be used to potentially cure pleural mesothelioma is Extrapleural Pneumonectomy. Since this is a more radical procedure, more expertise is also required of the surgeons. Patients have to meet a certain set of criteria before extrapleural pneumonectomy can be performed on them. The criteria include a Karnofsky Performance Status score of >70, adequate kidney and liver functions, within normal electrocardiogram and echocardiography results, adequate pulmonary function tests, limitation of the disease to just the ipsilateral hemithorax with no involvement of either the diaphragm, heart or chest wall, and age of the patient. The age is not given as much weight as the overall functional status of the patient.

For peritoneal mesothelioma, a cytoreductive surgery is performed to possibly effect a cure. As with the approaches used for pleural mesothelioma, this is done with the aim of removing all gross tumor. Cytoreductive surgery is typically combined with Intraperitoneal Hyperthermic Chemotherapy (IPHC) which is aimed wipe out any remaining microscopic cancer cells.

For patients with the more advanced stages of malignant mesothelioma for which the aforementioned curative approaches are not warranted, treatment should be geared towards the use of palliative procedures.

Palliative procedures are aimed at relieving the symptoms brought about by the disease in the hopes of improving the patient's quality of life. Chest Tube drainage and pleurodesis is a common palliative treatment employed to relieve fluid buildup or effusion in the chest cavity. Since malignant pleural effusions are usually persistent, after the initial drainage, pleurodesis is often performed to permanently close the pleural space and prevent the fluid from re-accumulating. Talc powder or other sclerosing agents are used as adhesives. Thoracoscopy with pleurodesis is another palliative procedure with a similar strategy. Both these procedures can only be done if the tumor has not yet encased the lungs. The unrestricted expansive capacity of the lungs has to be still intact for these two procedures to work. In cases where in the disease is effecting a restriction on the lung's expansion, a pleurectomy is the most effective treatment means to control pleural effusion.

A pleuroperitoneal shunt is another palliative procedure that involves catheter placement, threading it under the patient's skin from the pleural to the peritoneal cavity. This is not a very popular palliative treatment option because of the possible obstruction of the catheter and seeding of tumor in various cavities.

The choice of treatment options for malignant mesothelioma is Dependant upon the patient's stage of the disease at diagnosis. Prompt recognition of symptoms and timely diagnosis are still requisite before these treatment options can be instituted.

Seomul Evans is a senior copywriter for Mesothelioma daily writing about Asbestos Lawyers.

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Is There A Mesothelioma Cure?

Let's see if we can determine whether or not there is a mesothelioma cure. In this day and age it can seem absurd that there are no cures for cancer let alone a mesothelioma cure. Mesothelioma is a cancer, and as such, there is no true "cure" for it yet. However, if the disease is caught early, various treatment options can not only extend a patient's life, but also their quality of life. While the traditional survival rate for those diagnosed with mesothelioma is often set at eight to 12 months, more recently, a five year survival rate of some has increased substantially. This goes to show that treatment and drugs to battle mesothelioma cancer has increased and improved dramatically in the last few years. This may be due to the fact that more is known about mesothelioma cancer now than it ever was before.

However, there is still much to be understood about this aggressive disease. While the common diagnosis for mesothelioma is that it is indeed a form of cancer, not all researchers are in agreement. So as of yet there are no mesothelioma cure that has been developed; however there are things that people can do to ease any symptoms that they have. Your doctor or health professional will be able to help ease the symptoms and make the last few years or months a lot easier.

Some people think that mesothelioma cancer is a viral infection that has turned malignant. Thus, their prognosis is that the asbestos fibers which cause the disease could possibly activate an already present common virus infection, and eventually cause a variety of clinical conditions for the patient. While many of these clinical conditions may appear to not be harmful, in benign pleural effusions researchers don't typically find what is known as a pleural cavity that is then full of asbestos needles. Consequently, researchers either aren't culturing for the right agent, or they need more time to conduct broader research about the true nature of Mesothelioma.

Finally, here are some known medical facts that are not particularly common about Mesothelioma cancer:

o It is extremely rare for the Serosal membranes to be malignant other than with Mesothelioma cancer.

o It is not asbestos dependent.

o It is not smoking related.

o It only really happens when there is evidence of pleurisy.

o The latency period is longer than any other known malignancy.

While these facts contain specific, medical, terminology which some may be unfamiliar with, it is important to present the terminology as it known; scientifically. While the personal diagnosis, or that of a loved one, with mesothelioma can already seem like a devastating occurrence, it is important for people to educate themselves more specifically about such terms. This will assist both the patient, and their loved ones, to better understand the disease they are battling, and to more effectively communicate with their physicians regarding mesothelioma.

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The Hunt For A Cure For Mesothelioma - Experimental Treatments And Clinical Trials

Research and studies continue in the pursuit of a cure for Mesothelioma. This is where we try to find and innovate creative new treatment plans, remedies and solutions for coping, dealing and addressing the disease and the quality of life for the patients suffering from this disease. It robs the patients of their very precious breaths of life.

Evaluation of new treatment effectiveness, therapies and related medications or medical interventions is ongoing and for most doctors and specialists in this field a passionate and urgent, as well as serious pursuit and commitment is unquestionable. The race is on to find a cure for this rare type of cancer.

The newest technology and procedures are being tested in experimental conditions and clinical trials and progress is being made, albeit small steps at a time. We keep unraveling the mystery and deadly secrets of this killer cancer.

Here are some examples of some of the progress and ongoing studies underway at present:

Combination chemotherapy

More than one treatment at a time approaches have proven successful. Mixed results at times just deepens the complexity of these diseases, making it obvious that there is more here than meets the eye. Drug cocktails and mixes are tested in clinical trials on real patients and the results publishes in medical journals. Most of the patients respond well to the treatments and feel that they are doing their part to forward the science and treatment of themselves, but also many others.

Intra-cavitary chemotherapy

Invasive and aggressive internal treatment, by applying the treatment drugs or chemo elements directly into the cavities (like a concentrated and much higher dose, localized) This is done and has been successful, with minimal side effects and the results look promising. It actually reduces the damage significantly and controls the spread somewhat. It holds promise for more experiments and clinical trials in years to come.

Brachytherapy or radiation (radio-active) treatments are placed directly into the chest or peritoneal cavities.

Multimodality therapies where combination treatments and methods are used surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation to optimize a patient's chances for a successful outcome and surviving the disease, have a quality of life in their final days and even die with dignity and manage pain associated with the progressive nature of the disease.

Gene Therapy

This is a revolutionary and experimental form of Mesothelioma treatment. It consists of a genetically and manufactured virus to counter the effects of the disease, ,repair the damage and stop the progression. It attacks the tumors and cancerous areas, stains, all in an attempt to intervene and cure.

Immunotherapy

Giving patients a fighting change and improving their quality of life, these approaches typically focuses on giving the immune system a boost to fight the disease. It leverages the body's natural ability to want to re-establish equilibrium and heal itself.

Photodynamic therapy

Photosensitive drugs are used to treat the tumors or affected area.

There are lots of other examples and always the hope that the cure is around the next corner! Pursuits and efforts in this area will continue.

Elizabeth Perez, the webmaster of http://www.mesotheliomamedical.com/mesothelioma.htm is a part of the Sharing Information Group that provides useful information to the public through the syndication of free articles.

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Mesothelioma Litigation - Miracle Treatments For Mesothelioma Sufferers

The treatment of mesothelioma is done using various options all of which aim at the removing or suppressing of the malignant mesotheloima cells. Modern improvements have occurred in the treatment of the disease. These have mainly been in prognosis into newer chemotherapies coupled by multimodality treatments. It is important to note that treatment of the malignant cells at an early stage is essential since this enhances better prognosis. However, cure for this cancer is usually rare. The malignant cells have certain clinical behaviors which affects the malignancy. These factors range from the continuous mesothelial surface which favors local metastasis through exfoliated cells, invasion of other cells hence the random growth within the underlying tissues and the period between exposure to asbestos and disease development. There are three important factors to be considered in the disease prognosis which include:the age of the patient, health status,and the histological subtype. The epithelioid responds better to treatment and has a higher survival rate as opposed to the sarcomatoid histology.

The treatment options present include:

Surgery

This is mainly used where mesothelial cancerous cells are present. They may lead to the formation of growth which are surgically removed through excision. It is not effective if used alone but can be combined with other procedures for example chemotherapy in order to improve the median survival rate. The most common procedure in operation is pleurectomy which involves the removal of the chest's lining. Extrapleural pneumonectomy is the lesser common where the lungs, chest lining, pericardium and the hemi-diaphragm are removed.

Radiation

It is given before the operation as a consolidative treatment. This is often to patients who can withstand radical surgery and have localized disease. Radiation therapy is conducted hand to hand with chemotherapy and when done after surgery may lead to an extended life expectancy in different patients of up to 5 years. It is commonly applied to the chest drain insertion area to restrict track tumor growth along the chest wall. This is a curative approach an dis now commonly used in treatment.

Immunotherapy

This treatment option has yielded mixed results in the cure of mesothelioma. Some of the cells are susceptible to in vitro lysis of LAK cells but patients under this treatment have had massive side effects. Therapy through the use of interferon alpha are more encouraging since it has led to 50% tumor mass reduction in 20% of the patients with few side effects.

Heated Intraoperative Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy

Here, the surgeon removes much of the tumor and then a chemotherapy agent is directly applied. This agent is heated at temperatures of 40 and 80 0c in the abdomen and is perfused for between 1 and 2 hours then drained. Heating increases the drug penetration into tissues and also destroys the malignant cells more than the normal cells. This procedure allows one to administer high drug concentrations into the affected surfaces.

Multimodality Therapy

This technique was developed on the need to reduce the bulk of the tumor and hence improve survival of the patient. Both extrapleural pneumonectomy and pleurectomy are used and the indications of their use are unique. Size of the tumor influences the choice of operation. In the former, the underlying lung is spared and is performed on patients within the early stage. Here the intention are to remove the whole tumor as opposed to extrapleural pneumonectomy which is more extensive. It is performed on patients whose tumors are more developed and can not tolerate pneumonectomy.

Mesothelioma is an unfortunate and deadly disease. It most likely could have been prevented or at least avoided. For more information about the cancer, treatment options and litigation, please go to Mesothelioma Litigation Lawyers [http://www.mesotheliomalitigationlawyers.com]

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New Mesothelioma Treatment - Scared of Chemotherapy? Here's an Alternative Method to Be Cancer Free

On November 1, 1994, Marjorie Henderson died of ovarian cancer after a 4 year battle using chemotherapy and surgery. Her husband, Bill Henderson, was convinced that the chemotherapy caused her death, so he began a six year odyssey to discover an effective, scientifically based cancer cure. His research resulted in his book called, "Cancer-Free". The book is now in its 10th year and 3rd edition of publication. It is sold in 78 countries around the world and has helped over 3000 cancer patients be "cancer free".

Henderson's modern day cancer cure is partially based on the work done by the 1931 Nobel Prize winner, Dr. Otto Warburg. Dr. Warburg was awarded the Nobel prize for his work on cancer cells. He discovered that cancer cells require a low oxygen and a high acidity environment to survive. Henderson's methods focus on increasing the body's oxygen levels and simultaneously reducing the acidity of the body to kill the cancer cells.

In addition, Henderson's method involves boosting the body's natural immune system, through bio-optimized herbs and foods and eliminating toxic foods. He provides an easy to perform home saliva test, to monitor the body's pH level and the progress of the treatment.

If you are already receiving a conventional cancer treatment, Henderson's healing techniques are so gentle, that they do not interfere with your treatment.

"Cancer is not a disease," says Bill. "It is a reaction to what your body has experienced. Reverse that cause and the cancer goes away. Continue what you did to reverse it and it stays away."

Be sure to check out the resource box below to get more information about the book. To receive a copy of "Cancer Free" visit: New Mesothelioma Treatment. Read about other people that have beaten cancer without resorting to toxic methods such as chemotherapy and radiation.

To watch a video about a natural mesothelioma treatment visit: Alternative Mesothelioma Treatment

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_J._Folkmann

Mesothelioma Lawyer - Hopeful New Treatments and Cures For Mesothelioma Cancer

Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that is really impossible to treat. There are some latest treatment procedures that are really promising when it comes to curb this type of cancer. Anti-angiogenesis is one of the recent mode of cancer treatment. These drugs are not out to target the tumor that is causing the mesothelioma. The drugs are meant for the blood vessels that make the tumors grow. The drugs target the vascular endothelial growth factor that is instrumental in enable blood vessels to form. So the anti-angiogenesis drugs make sure that the vascular endothelial growths do not feed the tumor. This causes the tumor to cease growing and spreading to very important body organs.

New treatments for mesothelioma include immunotherapy which is very effective. The reason why it is effective is because it goes to the base of disease prevention in the body. Biological response modifiers help in improving the immune system of people thus making it possible for the body to rid of the cancerous cells of the mesothelioma. These modifiers play a big role in making the tumors harmless to the body and what happens is that the modifiers inhibit the cancer cells from growing thus making mesothelioma spread highly impossible. The modifiers practically enhance the functions of the antibodies. They can make the body identify cells that are not good for it and thus eliminate them before they cause further harm. Mesothelioma happens when cells that are normal are transformed to cancerous cells. The modifiers make the immune system very strong in the sense that they cease the transformation from normal to cancerous.

The photodynamic therapy is another form of new age mesothelioma treatment. This treatment uses laser light that is induced in to the system of the patient. The light targets the cells that have been harmed by the mesothelioma. When the cells are in contact with the light, then they are going to slowly stop thriving and then eventually die. This therapy is usually in the form of drugs that at times affected some patients who had mesothelioma. The effect is not as drastic the only problem is the patients experience sudden sensitive skin.

Gene therapy is also a new age mesothelioma treatment procedure that is proving to be very effective. This type of treatment has everything to do with the genes of the patient who has the mesothelioma. This type of therapy makes the gene structure of the patient who has mesothelioma have the genes to eradicate this type of cancer.

There are some researchers who have found out that skin cancer cream help in the treatment of mesothelioma. This clinical trial involves the cream being put in the tumor that has the mesothelioma. When the cream was in the tumor, the body responded by reproducing cells that in turn eradicate the cancerous mesothelioma cells. This type of trial seems to be very promising and many mesothelioma patients will soon be cured and the cancer will go and stop making their health life harder.

If you or a loved one suspects you may have mesothelioma, you should find out immediately by a qualified doctor. Generally speaking it is usually caused by exposure to asbestos. You may be eligible for financial relief or even have grounds for a lawsuit. Your first step is to talk to an attorney.

For more information about mesothelioma as well as how to file a lawsuit, please go to Mesothelioma Litigation Lawyers [http://www.mesotheliomalitigationlawyers.com]

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Mesothelioma and Lung Cancer

Asbestos Mesothelioma - Gendicine, Could it Be the Next Promising Cure For Cancer?

Europe and the United States are probably still a year away from licensing gene therapy, however, there are currently at least two clinical trials testing gene therapy for mesothelioma. They include the University of Pennsylvania and the Louisiana State University. Unfortunately, gene therapy research took a big blow in 1999 when teenager Jesse Gelsinger died during a gene therapy clinical trial at the University of Pennsylvania.

Despite that, China is now the only country in the world that has already approved gene therapy. On October 16, 2003, the drug named Gendicine was approved by the State Food and Drug Administration of China. Gendicine had more than 5 years of clinical trials before it was approved. They have currently used this therapy on over 4500 patients and have followed their patient's progress for over 6 years. Now, hundreds of cancer patients from around the world are travelling to Beijing to receive this leading edge treatment.

The clinical trials of Gendicine included 135 patients and results showed that 64% of patients showed tumour regression after 8 weekly injections in combination with radiation therapy. According to the clinical trial results, using Gendicine with chemotherapy and radiation therapy can improve the efficacy by 3 times. The only side effect of Gendicine is a typical overnight fever.

Since there are no other approved gene therapy treatments in the world, many desperate cancer patients from North America and Europe are travelling to Beijing, China to receive treatment of Gendicine.

Richard Weissenborn from Texas, USA, had tongue cancer that had spread to his lymph nodes and was given two months to live in July of 2006. He was treated with Gendicine and chemotherapy by Dr. Li Dinggang at the Haidan Hospital in Beijing at a cost of about $30,000 U.S.

After two cycles of treatments, over two months, a pet scan showed that he was cancer free. The controversy around this story is that even though Richard's cancer was gone there are some doubts as to whether the chemotherapy or Gendicine cured it. Dr. Mark Persky, a cancer specialist remarked that "According to my review, there's really no way of telling whether one or the other caused tumour regression".

In a healthy cell, there is a gene called the p53 gene, which can repair DNA, arrest cell growth, and initiate a cellular self destruction if the cell damage is too great as in the case of cancer. However, in a study by the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine in Beijing, they found that there was a high occurrence of p53 gene damage in asbestos related cancers such as mesothelioma.

Gendicine works by reactivating the p53 gene, which acts as tumour suppressant but is shut off in a cancer cell because it may become deactivated by mutagens such as asbestos, chemicals and radiation. Gendicine treatment uses a virus as a medium to carry the p53 gene into the cancerous cells and causes the p53 gene to reactive and initiate self destruction (apoptosis) of the cancer cell.

Paul Folkmann is a mesothelioma cancer researcher. To learn more about gendicine, visit: New Mesothelioma Treatment. There you will also find information on mesothelioma treatments, stories of hope, and the latest news.

To view a video on alternative cancer treatments visit: Alternative Cancer Treatments Video

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Mesothelioma Cure and Treatment - TENS Therapy

Mesothelioma is known as one of most dangerous type of cancer. Till now there is no certain and one hundred percent effective cure for this type of cancer. There were chemotherapy treatment developed for helping mesothelioma patients. This treatment was developed with electro shock based treatment. The idea is to give the patient some electric shocks, then those shocks were sent to brain to stop and help decreasing the pain in certain areas. This kind of mesothelioma treatment is called TENS, stand for Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation.

Good thing about this treatment is one can do it at home by him/herself. The patient could have a device which can be used to do TENS treatment. On earlier stage patients should have TENS therapist help them using the device and to find certain locations where they should put TENS treatment on. Another benefit that patient could have with this kind of treatment, they would not have to worry about side effects like on any other treatments. But for pregnant women, they should aware that they have to consult to their doctor before using this treatment as their choice.

This treatment could be the safe choice for mesothelioma treatment than chemotherapy or any other treatment, it is safe with no side effects and it is also could be performed at home by the patient him/herself. But still, to choose the best treatment, one should consult to their doctor or their health advisor first to match their condition with the treatment they should choose.

Andrian Pihatono is a management Consultant who also in the middle of building its own online business.

Thanks

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Mesothelioma Lawyer - Is This The Cure To Mesothelioma Cancer?

The cure of mesothelioma is highly dependent on a few factors. The type of cure will depend on the type of mesothelioma that someone has and where in the body organs the cancerous tumor is. Another important factor is how big or small the tumor is. The level in which the mesothelioma has progressed is also another factor. The state of health of the patient is very important and also how old the patient is. The age of the patient is important because there are some forms of treatment that are too harsh for a particular age group and if the patient health is very weak then some cures will make the patient feel even worse.

One cure of mesothelioma is surgery but this depends on the stage of the cancer. If the cancer has progressed to later stages then surgery will be needed. There are two type of surgeries that can be performed. The lungs include the organs that are removed during the curative surgery that enables the patient to live for a longer time. The pericardium and the diaphragm are the two other organs that are also removed in this type of surgery. This surgery is very invasive and that is why it is done on patients who are youthful and whose health status is in good standing.

Then there is the other type of surgery that does not necessarily cure the mesothelioma but instead makes it more tolerable. Palliative surgery, the type of surgery is aimed at reducing the side effects of the mesothelioma. When the cancer has progressed to the advanced more dangerous stages, then this is the only surgery that can be done. It is not necessary during the early stages of the mesothelioma.

Chemotherapy is another form of mesothelioma cure though it does not take the cancer away. There are still on-going research that are aiming at making chemotherapy more helpful to the mesothelioma patients. What chemotherapy does is that it alleviates the pains that patients endure because of the mesothelioma. In chemotherapy, two drugs are used so that it can be more effective. There are some patients who do not react well with a combination of drugs and in this case, one drug is used instead. One problem with chemotherapy is that it comes along with side effects like nausea that causes the patient to be given more drugs to take care of the nausea.

Radiation cure of mesothelioma is only used if the health of the patient is not good. Such patients cannot even undergo surgery or even chemotherapy. If the latter procedures are used then the patient could suffer enormously. In brachytherapy radiation, the main aim is to rid the mesothelioma. This is done by inducing the radiation in either the lungs or the abdomen and this deals with the tumor head on. External beam radiation deals only with the organs that have the mesothelioma tumors. The purpose of this type of radiation is to make the patient breath easier and when it comes to eating they are able to swallow better because the pain will be less because of the radiation.

If you or a loved one suspects you may have mesothelioma, you should find out immediately by a qualified doctor. Generally speaking it is usually caused by exposure to asbestos. You may be eligible for financial relief or even have grounds for a lawsuit. Your first step is to talk to an attorney.

For more information about mesothelioma as well as how to file a lawsuit, please go to Mesothelioma Litigation Lawyers [http://www.mesotheliomalitigationlawyers.com]

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