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Peritoneal Mesothelioma

Every year, thousands of people are diagnosed with mesothelioma. Unfortunately, almost all cases of this rare and deadly form of cancer could have been prevented. Mesothelioma is caused by an environment substance – asbestos. Asbestos is found naturally in the ground, but poses little threat undisturbed in nature. However, during the industrial revolution, manufacturers began using asbestos in a number of products, especially those used for construction. Asbestos is a great product to use because it is fire-resistant, lightweight, flexible, durable, and cheap, but it also puts people at risk for very serious health problems. Today, the EPA regulates all use of asbestos, but this wasn’t always the case.
There are three kinds of mesothelioma, each attacking a different part of the body (the lungs, the heart, and the abdomen). While pleural mesothelioma (affecting the lungs) is the most common, peritoneal mesothelioma is the second most common form of mesothelioma. Please see “Pericardial Mesothelioma” and “Pleural Mesothelioma” for information about these cancers.
This type of mesothelioma affects the abdomen and is predominately caused by swallowing asbestos. Of course, no one eats asbestos, and it was never an ingredient in food products, but asbestos can be accidentally consumed in a number of ways:
Children who are teething may stick something containing asbestos in their mouths.
If you naturally breathe through your mouth, you could swallow asbestos.
Eating near an area contaminated with asbestos could cause asbestos fibers to settle on your food.
Asbestos could pollute a drinking water source you use.
Asbestos is so dangerous when it enters the body partly because of the shape of its fibers. These fibers are extremely sharp and jagged, which is why your throat might feel itchy if you’re around asbestos. When you swallow these fibers, they can get stuck in and tear the peritoneum.
The peritoneum is a soft tissue lining in the abdomen. It surrounds the liver, pancreas, stomach, colon, and small intestines for protection. This lining provides a fluid that allows them to glide against one another when moving. However, when asbestos enters the body, it creates a perfect condition for the development of abnormal cells – cancer.
When peritoneal mesothelioma develops, which can happen over the course of decades, the asbestos fibers irritate the peritoneum and cause cells to multiply quickly and overproduce the fluid normally used to keep the body healthy. Therefore, one of the main symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma is the accumulation of fluid in the abdomen. Other symptoms include weight loss (even though your waist size may increase due to the fluid), stomach pains, bowel obstruction, and fever. Some peritoneal mesothelioma patients also develop anemia, a condition that reduces the red blood cells in the body. This strains the heart and can make you feel tired. It is also dangerous if you are injured, as bleeding becomes a problem.
Peritoneal mesothelioma makes up approximately one out of every five mesothelioma cases. While it can take years or even decades to develop, in most cases, it is discovered sooner than other forms of mesothelioma, which is in part due to the build-up of fluid.
There are two types of peritoneal mesothelioma. Dry peritoneal mesothelioma reveals a tumor in the abdomen in a single location. For this kind of cancer, many times the best option is surgery to remove the mass. Wet peritoneal mesothelioma is a bit harder to treat. In this type of mesothelioma, you’ll see a number of smaller tumors growing all over the peritoneum. Surgery is also an option, and patients can also consider chemotherapy, radiation, gene therapy, and other traditional cancer treatments. For information about treatment, please see “Mesothelioma Treatment Options.”
In addition to traditional forms of treatment, there are also alternative options as well. Not that not all of these alternative therapies are recommended by all doctors. Usually, a doctor will prescribe a traditional medical treatment, but if alternative medicine interests you, make sure you talk to a licensed professional about these options as well. For mesothelioma, some of the alternative therapies being studied include ukrain, iscador, vitamin C, ozone therapy, astragalus, and cat’s claw. Techniques like medical massage, acupuncture, and acupressure may help if you’re experiencing a lot of pain due to the mesothelioma.
Whatever course of treatment you choose, make sure that you talk to a lawyer in addition to talking to medical professionals. In the vast majority of mesothelioma cases, you are not at fault for developing this condition. Companies that produced asbestos products knew about the dangers involved with this substance since the 1940s. However, asbestos was still commonly used until the 1980s, at which time it became more regulated. Employees were put at risk without consent, as were their families, since asbestos is easily transferred home on clothing or in hair. You have legal rights against those who put you at risk. Please see “Legal Issues and Mesothelioma” for more information

1 التعليقات:

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January 26, 2009 at 10:13 AM  

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