Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Pericardial Mesothelioma

There are three types of the asbestos related cancer known as mesothelioma: pleural mesothelioma, which affects the lungs, peritoneal mesothelioma, which affects the abdominal region, and pericardial mesothelioma, which affects the heart. While the majority of those diagnosed with mesothelioma are diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma, there are a small percentage of sufferers who are diagnosed with the rarest form of this cancer, which is pericardial mesothelioma.

Like the other forms of this asbestos related cancer, pericardial mesothelioma can take several decades to develop from the time of exposure, with the average latency period being between twenty and forty years. This means that those people who may have contracted this form of cancer while working with asbestos in the 1970s, may not even be aware that they have the cancer, as symptoms may not yet have developed.

Pericardial mesothelioma is where the lining that surrounds the heart and provides protection and lubrication is attacked by cancer cells. There are a number of symptoms associated with pericardial mesothelioma, including persistent coughing, shortness of breath, chest pain, and palpitations. These are symptoms that you should look out for if you have worked with asbestos in the past, and should you experience any of these symptoms, it is important to seek medical assistance as early as possible.

As with the other forms of mesothelioma, the symptoms associated with pericardial mesothelioma can be very non-specific, and this means that they could easily be put down to one of a range of more common illnesses, which increases the risk of a misdiagnoses. If you have worked with asbestos, you should therefore make your doctor aware of this fact, as this can help to speed up diagnosis should these symptoms manifest.

Mesothelioma FAQ

What exactly is mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that can affect the lung, abdominal, or heart regions of the body. Mesothelioma is cancer of the mesothelium, which protects the major organs of the body. This form of cancer is the result of exposure to asbestos dust and fibers and can take twenty to forty years to develop. There is no cure for mesothelioma, although treatments are being discovered that can extend the lifespan of the sufferer slightly. Once developed, the average lifespan of the victim is around six to twelve months.

Are there different variations of this cancer?
Yes, there are three forms of mesothelioma: pleural mesothelioma, peritoneal mesothelioma, and pericardial mesothelioma. Each of these affects a different part of the body. All types have the same long latency period, and all can kill within months of manifestation of symptoms.

What are the three variations of mesothelioma?
The most common form of mesothelioma is pleural mesothelioma, and this is the form of cancer that affects the lining of the lungs. This is where fluid forms between the chest cavity and the lungs. Some of the symptoms relating to this form of mesothelioma include breathing and swallowing difficulties, shortness of breath, fever, coughing, weight loss and coughing up blood.

The second most common form of this cancer is peritoneal mesothelioma, and this form of the cancer affects the mesothelium around the stomach and abdominal area. The pressure of the tumors against the abdominal wall creates a range of symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, stomach pains, abdominal swelling, loss of appetite, weight loss, chest pain, breathing problems, bowel obstruction, anemia, fever, and blood clotting abnormalities.

The rarest form of the cancer is pericardial mesothelioma, and this form of the cancer affects the protective lining around the heart. Symptoms of this form of mesothelioma include chest pain, persistent coughing, fever and palpitations.

Is mesothelioma difficult to diagnose?
Mesothelioma is a cancer that is notoriously difficult to diagnose for a number of reasons. Firstly, the disease has such as long latency period that there are no symptoms to diagnose for many years, which means that by the time a diagnosis is made, it is often too late for any form of effective treatment to be administered. Also, many of the symptoms linked to mesothelioma are very non-specific, which means that they could apply to a variety of other more common diseases, so misdiagnoses can easily be made.

What can I do if I develop mesothelioma?
Although there is no cure for this cancer, there are treatments available that can help to alleviate symptoms and even extend your lifespan. You need to ensure that you are monitored by your doctor every step of the way. You can also ask about support groups, where you will be able to get together with others in the same situation in order to come to terms with your illness. And finally, you should look into claiming compensation for your illness, which can be done through a specialized asbestos and mesothelioma lawyer.

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Five worst Cancer causing foods

There are some foods that people who are at high risk for developing cancer should definitely avoid. Generally, says natural health researcher Mike Adams, they should avoid foods that contain ingredients known to cause cancer, such as refined sugars and grains , hydrogenated oils, and nitrates. But which foods are the absolute worst?

The top five cancer-causing foods are:



1. Hot dogs
Because they are high in nitrates, the Cancer Prevention Coalition advises that children eat no more than 12 hot dogs a month. If you can't live without hot dogs, buy those made without sodium nitrate.
2. Processed meats and bacon
Also high in the same sodium nitrates found in hot dogs, bacon, and other processed meats raise the risk of heart disease. The saturated fat in bacon also contributes to cancer.

3. Doughnuts
Doughnuts are cancer-causing double trouble. First, they are made with white flour, sugar, and hydrogenated oils, then fried at high temperatures. Doughnuts, says Adams , may be the worst food you can possibly eat to raise your risk of cancer.
4. French fries
Like doughnuts, French fries are made with hydrogenated oils and then fried at high temperatures. They also contain cancer- causing acrylamides which occur during the frying process. They should be called cancer fries, not French fries, said Adams .
5. Chips, crackers, and cookies
All are usually made with white flour and sugar. Even the ones whose labels claim to be free of trans-fats generally contain small amounts of trans-fats.