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Mesothelioma Cancer : The doctor may also request an MRI (magnetic reso­nance image). An MRI uses radio waves and strong magnets along with a computer to form detailed images of the body. The MRI can occasionally give the doctor information about whether the diaphragm or chest wall have become involved and if the tumor has invaded through it. Not all mesothelioma specialists use MRIs in their workup. A PET scan (positron emission tomography scan) is a relatively new type of scan that shows how the body takes up and uses glucose (sugar). Tumors, cancer cells, and areas that are inflamed or infected use glucose at a higher rate than normal tissues do. Since a radioactive tracer is attached to the glucose injected into your body, the areas which use glucose at a higher rate (i.e. tumors) will hold onto the radioactive tracer longer than normal cells. Areas on PET scans that “light up” as bright spots are abnormal. It is important to know, however, that abnormal areas on PET scans are not necessarily cancerous; they can also be the result of inflammation. The PET scan can also give the doctor information as to whether the cancer has spread outside the original area to other parts of the body, and it may pick up areas of spread that are completely unexpected. Mesothelioma Cancer

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There have not been enough large studies that prove the usefulness of this scan in mesothelioma, and therefore it has not been approved by most insurance companies as a standard test for mesothelioma, as it has been for lung cancer. However, there are mechanisms that can help pay for PET scans that doctors who do them (nuclear medicine physicians) can help you with. Ask them about these programs. A patient with a large, unexplained fluid accumulation in the chest or abdomen and who has a small or moder­ate amount of thickening of the pleura should have a biopsy performed, using semi-invasive techniques (tech­niques that require only local anesthesia and that do not involve cutting into the chest or abdomen). For exam­ple, the biopsy might involve an initial thoracentesis (drainage of fluid in the chest) or paracentesis (drainage of fluid in the abdomen) and a pleural biopsy. These are relatively safe procedures that can be performed by a pulmonologist (lung physician), a radiologist, or a sur­geon. A local anesthetic (a numbing medicine such as lidocaine) is given to temporarily reduce the feeling in the area before the needle is inserted. Mesothelioma Cancer

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A pleural biopsy with a special needle may help in get­ting a diagnosis of mesothelioma, and it is generally performed by a pulmonologist. Since mesothelioma is usually diffuse (widely scattered) in the chest, a ran­dom sample of the pleura may give tissue with mesothelioma cells in it. A thoracentesis can be performed after the pleural biopsy is completed. The doctor inserts a needle into the pocket of fluid in the chest or abdomen to draw off some of the fluid. Many times, the needle is simply used to insert a flexible catheter (a tube the size of thin spaghetti) which is then used to draw off the fluid. After the fluid is drawn out through this catheter, the catheter is removed.

Our use of the term or terms Mesothelioma Cancer is for descriptive purposes only. There is no relationship between the owners of this website and the maker of the product discussed in this post. Our use of the words Recall, Class Action Lawsuit and other similar words related to an event do not necessarily mean that this event has occurred. Refer to the website of the United States Food and Drug Administration for information on drug or medical device recalls. If a Class Action Lawsuit is formed in relation to the product discussed in this post we will provide that information at the time the Class Action is formed. A Class Action Lawsuit is not required to exist for you to file a lawsuit if you have been injured by the product discussed in this post.

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Mesothelioma Cancer

Mesothelioma Cancer : Malignant mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that is found m the lining of the chest and lung (the pleura), the abdomen (the peritoneum), or the saclike space around the heart (the pericardium). Although it is rare, mesothelioma is a very serious disease that is often at an advanced stage when the diagnosis is made. In the United States an estimated 2000 to 3000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed each year. Approximately three fourths of these cases start in the chest cavity and are called pleural mesothe­liomas. Another 10% to 20% begin in the abdomen and are called peritoneal mesotheliomas. Lastly, those that start in the lining around the heart are called pericardial mesotheliomas, but these are extremely rare.

Mesothelioma is divided into three main types, based on what the cancer cells look like under the micro­scope. The most frequent type is epithelioid. About 50% to 70% of mesotheliomas are of this type. It usu­ally has the best prognosis or outiook of the three. The second type is called the sarcomatoid, which makes up about 7% to 20% of mesotheliomas. It has a very unpredictable pattern or nature. The last type, called mixed or biphasic, is a combination of the first two types and makes up about 20% to 35% of mesotheliomas. Although there are different types of mesothelioma, the treatment options, at this time, are essentially the same for all types.

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The pleura is a sheetlike lining formed by rectangular cells called mesothelial cells, and is usually not more than a few layers thick. There are two pleuras in the chest; the parietal pleura lines the inside of the chest wall like wallpaper, covering not only the inside of the ribs but also the diaphragm (the muscle in between the chest and abdominal cavities that moves with breath­ing) and pericardium. The normal parietal pleura is no more than 2 to 3 mm thick, where the normal visceral pleura is fused to the lung and is about 1 mm thick. The visceral pleura is a separate pleura that covers the lung and is much more difficult to remove without harming the lung. The pleura filters fluid back and forth from the chest to the circulation in the normal human, but it is expendable if it becomes diseased. If the pleura becomes diseased, it is not as effective in eliminating fluid from the chest, and fluid accumula­tion (pleural effusion) can occur.

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In general, a risk factor is anything that can increase a person’s chance of getting a particular disease. The biggest risk factor for developing mesothelioma is an exposure to asbestos. Most people with this disease have, at some point in their lives, worked on jobs where they breathed in asbestos fibers. The risk of developing mesothelioma is directly related to how much asbestos exposure a person has had and for how long. People who have a risk of occupational asbestos exposure include factory workers, ship builders, brake repair workers, construction workers, insulation manufactur­ers and installers, asbestos miners, and many others.

Family members of people exposed to asbestos at work are also at an increased risk for mesothelioma. This is because these asbestos fibers are carried home on the clothes, shoes, skin, and hair of these workers and can be inhaled by others. Simian virus 40, or SV40, is a virus that has been asso­ciated with the development of malignant mesothe­lioma. This virus is found in rhesus monkeys and is now widespread among humans. The way this virus was transferred from monkeys to humans is uncertain, but it is postulated that some of the transfer occurred from 1954 to 1963 through SV40-contaminated polio vaccines administered worldwide. Those people who received the injectable form of the polio vaccine are believed to be those at greatest risk. This vaccine doesn’t folly explain the transfer of this virus, because many humans who could not have received the contaminated vaccines are now infected with the SV40 virus. One theory that has been proposed is that the SV40 virus continues to be transferred from monkeys to humans or that humans can pass the virus from person to per­son. The latter theory has been supported by data showing that SV40 can be excreted in human feces, breast milk, and semen. It is unlikely that this virus acts alone in the development of mesothelioma as most cancers have multiple risk factors associated with their development, and most mesotheliomas occur in asbestos exposed individuals. Instead, it is more likely that asbestos and SV40 may act together to develop into mesothelioma.

Our use of the term or terms Mesothelioma Cancer is for descriptive purposes only. There is no relationship between the owners of this website and the maker of the product discussed in this post. Our use of the words Recall, Class Action Lawsuit and other similar words related to an event do not necessarily mean that this event has occurred. Refer to the website of the United States Food and Drug Administration for information on drug or medical device recalls. If a Class Action Lawsuit is formed in relation to the product discussed in this post we will provide that information at the time the Class Action is formed. A Class Action Lawsuit is not required to exist for you to file a lawsuit if you have been injured by the product discussed in this post.

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Mesothelioma Cancer

What is mesothelioma?

Malignant Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that is found in the lining of the chest and lung (the pleura), the abdomen (the peritoneum), or the saclike space around the heart (the pericardium). Although it is rare, mesothelioma is a very serious disease that is often at an advanced stage when the diagnosis is made. In the United States an estimated 2000 to 4000 new

cases of Mesothelioma are diagnosed each year. Approximately three fourths of these cases start in

the chest cavity and are called pleural mesotheliomas. Another 10% to 20% begin in the abdomen and are called peritoneal mesotheliomas. Lastly, those that start in the lining around the heart are called pericardial mesotheliomas, but these are extremely rare.

Are there different types of Mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma is divided into three main types, based on what the cancer cells look like under the microscope. The most frequent type is epithelioid. About 50% to 70% of mesotheliomas are of this type. It usually has the best prognosis or outlook of the three. The second type is called the sarcomatoid, which makes up about 7% to 20% of mesotheliomas. It has a very unpredictable pattern or nature. The last type, called mixed or biphasic, is a combination of the first two types

and makes up about 20% to 35% of mesotheliomas. Although there are different types of mesothelioma,

the treatment options, at this time, are essentially the

same for all types.

What is the pleura Mesothelioam?

The pleura is a sheetlike lining formed by rectangular cells called mesothehal cells, and is usually not more than a few layers thick. There are two pleuras in the chest; the parietal pleura lines the inside of the chest wall like wallpaper, covering not only the inside of the ribs but also the diaphragm (the muscle in between the chest and abdominal cavities that moves with breathing)

and pericardium. The normal parietal pleura is no more than 2 to 3 mm thick, where the normal visceral pleura is fused to the lung and is about 1 mm thick.

The visceral pleura is a separate pleura that covers the lung and is much more difficult to remove without harming the lung. The pleura filters fluid back and

forth from the chest to the circulation in the normal human, but it is expendable if it becomes diseased

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