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Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Asbestos and Cancer
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. Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles.
What is the mesothelium?
The mesothelium is a membrane that covers and protects most of the internal organs of the body. It is composed of two layers of cells: One layer immediately surrounds the organ; the other forms a sac around it. The mesothelium produces a lubricating fluid that is released between these layers, allowing moving organs (such as the beating heart and the expanding and contracting lungs) to glide easily against adjacent structures.
The mesothelium has different names, depending on its location in the body. The peritoneum is the mesothelial tissue that covers most of the organs in the abdominal cavity. The pleura is the membrane that surrounds the lungs and lines the wall of the chest cavity. The pericardium covers and protects the heart. The mesothelial tissue surrounding the male internal reproductive organs is called the tunica vaginalis testis. The tunica serosa uteri covers the internal reproductive organs in women.
What is mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma (cancer of the mesothelium) is a disease in which cells of the mesothelium become abnormal and divide without control or order. They can invade and damage nearby tissues and organs. Cancer cells can also metastasize (spread) from their original site to other parts of the body. Most cases of mesothelioma begin in the pleura or peritoneum.
How common is mesothelioma?
Although reported incidence rates have increased in the past 20 years, mesothelioma is still a relatively rare cancer. About 2,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed in the United States each year. Mesothelioma occurs more often in men than in women and risk increases with age, but this disease can appear in either men or women at any age.
What are the risk factors for mesothelioma?
Working with asbestos is the major risk factor for mesothelioma. A history of asbestos exposure at work is reported in about 70 percent to 80 percent of all cases. However, mesothelioma has been reported in some individuals without any known exposure to asbestos.
Asbestos is the name of a group of minerals that occur naturally as masses of strong, flexible fibers that can be separated into thin threads and woven. Asbestos has been widely used in many industrial products, including cement, brake linings, roof shingles, flooring products, textiles, and insulation. If tiny asbestos particles float in the air, especially during the manufacturing process, they may be inhaled or swallowed, and can cause serious health problems. In addition to mesothelioma, exposure to asbestos increases the risk of lung cancer, asbestosis (a noncancerous, chronic lung ailment), and other cancers, such as those of the larynx and kidney.
Smoking does not appear to increase the risk of mesothelioma. However, the combination of smoking and asbestos exposure significantly increases a person's risk of developing cancer of the air passageways in the lung.
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Monday, June 8, 2009
Analyzing Mesothelioma Clinical Trials
Who conducts mesothelioma clinical trials?
Mesothelioma trials are conducted to study and experiment on the effectiveness of the new drugs and treatments invented for mesothelioma. The cancer institutes, research centers and hospitals mostly conduct these trials. Doctors, private organizations and others fund them. Certain pharmaceutical companies and drug manufacturers also conduct and fund mesothelioma clinical trials. They do this because they want volunteers to test their new drugs.
How to find mesothelioma clinical trials?
The advertisement for clinical trials appears in cancer centers, newspapers and magazines. Many people enlist for the clinical trials out of their own will. They speak cancer research centers and doctors and express their wish to volunteer for clinical trial. These people do so because they want to help other cancer patients who suffer like them. However, apart from all this, the best place to check out about clinical trials is online. Lots of websites gives information about the trials taking place and how volunteers can participate in them.
What are the phases of mesothelioma clinical trials?
Mesothelioma clinical trials are normally done in three phases:
1) Phase I trial: This trial involves only very few people. It is used to test the effectiveness of the new drugs or new type of treatment.
2) Phase II trial: This trial involves a larger group of subjects. The drug’s side effects, safety, dosage and effectiveness are tested using this trial.
3) Phase III trial: This trial involves a huge amount of people from various cancer treatment Centers simultaneously. This is a comparative trial in which the new medicine or type of treatment is compared to the existing ones. The comparative risks, benefits and effectiveness are analyzed.
What are the benefits of mesothelioma clinical trials?
There are many benefits of taking part in a mesothelioma clinical trial. Some of these benefits are listed below:
1) The patients who participate in mesothelioma clinical trials have easy access to the latest drugs and treatments that have been invented. These are not available for the other non-participants.
2) Normally, the new drugs and treatments are invented after much research and experiments. So, they are more effective and work well than the current drugs and treatments. So, the volunteers would highly benefit from these new drugs and treatments.
3) The medical research personnel and doctors consider a participant in a mesothelioma clinical trial a very special person. So, the volunteer gets lots of special and close medical attention on all aspects of the treatment.
4) Every clinical trial helps medical science advance one more step. This will define the medicines and treatments of the future. The destiny of millions depends on these advancements.
5) The volunteers for mesothelioma clinical trials are contributing to a huge social cause. It is because of them that many find their life during the disease more comfortable. The above are the various benefits for volunteers taking part in mesothelioma clinical trials.
What are the risks involved in participating in a mesothelioma clinical trial?
A mesothelioma clinical trial is only an experimental study of new drugs and new types of treatments. These may be advantageous or disadvantageous. The main risks associated with taking part in a mesothelioma clinical trial are as follows:
1) The new medicine or new method of treatment may not be better than the current one. Sometimes, it may even worsen the condition.
2) Mostly, medical researchers and doctors are not aware of the exact side effects and consequences of the new medicines or types of treatment invented by them. So, there may also arise to be risky side effects because of the clinical trial.
3) The clinical trial treatments may not be covered by health insurance. So, It is always better to find out about this before going in for the mesothelioma clinical trial.
4) A clinical trial involves much more interaction between the doctor and the patient. So, the patient will have to go to the hospital more often. These frequent visits may be tiresome and irritating during an uncomfortable illness like mesothelioma.
5) If the patient gives a complete free hand to the doctors and researchers, then they may not have any choice in the treatment, which they will receive. This may be difficult and risky for the patient.
What is the eligibility to participate in a mesothelioma clinical trial?
Normally, there is no specific eligibility to participate in a mesothelioma clinical trial. However, sometimes there may be certain conditions that may be imposed for participating in a mesothelioma clinical trial. These are as follows:
1) Some studies may want only first-time Volunteers. Others may permit even those who have been in other studies previously.
2) Some Studies may be random, giving no choice to the patients about the type of treatment they may receive. Others may be more specific about giving a choice to the patients.
3) Sometimes, some studies may focus on only one particular type of mesothelioma. Thus, other patients suffering from other types of mesothelioma are not eligible for such studies. For instance, a person suffering from pleural mesothelioma (mesothelioma originating from the lungs) is not eligible to participate in a study involving peritoneal mesothelioma (mesothelioma originating from the abdomen).
4) Some studies may require a person in a particular stage of cancer. Thus, others become ineligible for that study For instance, a person in the second stage of cancer becomes ineligible for a study Involving persons in the fourth stage of cancer.
5) Some studies may specifically require people of a particular sex or of a particular age group.
6) Some studies may require people of a particular background. For instance, people who are smokers or people who have worked in asbestos industries or so on.
What are the types of mesothelioma clinical trials?
There are various types of mesothelioma clinical trials. Some of them are listed below:
Prevention Trials:
These trials are directed towards finding out a way to avoid the occurrence of mesothelioma. These studies use people who do not have mesothelioma or people who have had it but now the cancer is in remission. They try to find out ways to prevent recurrence.
Screening Trials:
These trials are conducted to study whether the diagnosis and discovery of cancer is effective. People who are cancer free but have factors, which predispose them to cancer, participate in this trial.
Diagnostic Trials:
These are trials, which study about the diagnostic procedures and test their effectiveness. Patients who show symptoms of mesothelioma can participate in this trial.
Treatment Trials:
This trial tests the effectiveness of new types of treatments and the various new drugs. Volunteers for this type of trial are patients with mesothelioma.
Quality of Life Trials:
Trials conducted to try and improve the quality of life of mesothelioma patients are called Quality of life trials. These trials are focused about trying to reduce the discomfort and symptoms associated with mesothelioma.
Genetics studies:
These Studies are about the way in which genetics affect the way mesothelioma is diagnosed and treated.
What should every volunteer do before participating in a mesothelioma clinical trial?
Everyone who wants to participate in a Mesothelioma clinical trial should
1) Talk to their doctor about their desire and seek his advice,
2) Check whether they are eligible to participate in this trial,
3) Decide on the amount of freedom they want to give their researcher and
4) Decide on the type of trial they want to participate in.
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Friday, June 5, 2009
An Introduction to Feline Granuloma and Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a very rare form cancer inflicting some people. Not all countries report cases of the disease. But did you know that there are reported cases of mesothelioma and granuloma among feline creatures?
Feline granuloma and mesothelioma are much more rare than human mesothelioma. However, experts and researchers are turning more curious and interested about the subject as years go by. That is because there are too many questions and factors that must be resolved and answered about feline cases of granuloma and mesothelioma.
But first, it would be better if you would have a briefer of what granuloma and mesothelioma are. For sure, your interest and curiosity would be further aroused if you find out the known causes for the disease. You might ask the question, 'How do cats acquire such ailments?'
Granuloma and mesothelioma
In medical terms, granuloma and mesothelioma are two different terms and diseases for living organisms like mammals. To make it simple, there is a clear distinction between the two. Granuloma is non-cancerous or is often described as benign, while mesothelioma in contrast is most of the time malignant, or cancerous, and would often lead to the death of the individual.
While both the diseases affect tissues within the internal organs of the body, there is still basic differences. One, granuloma is considered a form of a serious infection and can easily be treated. Second, granuloma is not as severe as mesothelioma.
For its part, mesothelioma is often malignant and death-causing. Although prognosis, or rate or chances of survival, is possible, most of the reported cases end up in death of the diagnosed patient.
To understand mesothelioma better, try to comprehend its causes and other problems associated with it.
Mesothelioma, in focus
Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that occurs in the mesothelial tissue or the sac lining in the chest. Researches have found that asbestos when exposed to air disintegrates into very miniscule fibers that can be inhaled without people being aware of it.
Once the asbestos fibers reach the lungs, they enter the mesothelila tissues and accumulate. The process would not create significant adverse results overnight. Experts estimate that it should take about two months of exposure before a person accumulates sufficient asbestos fibers to develop a tumor that would eventually lead to mesothelioma.
Another striking fact about mesothelioma is that it does not occur in an asbestos-exposed person until about 20 to 30 years after the exposure. That is the main reason why on the average, mesothelioma patients are aged about 50 years to 70 years.
Thus, people exposed to asbestos would not abruptly feel and bear the effects of exposure to the substance until a significant amount of time. That way, in the past, people diagnosed with mesothelioma had not readily linked the disease to their possible exposure to asbestos.
Mesothelioma in cats
Feline mesothelioma, therefore, is another case. Is feline mesothelioma caused by asbestos exposure? If that is so, then the owner of the cat is also at risk of developing mesothelioma in the future because he might also be of exposed to the substance.
In cats, mesothelioma could be disgnosed of the cat is aged seven to ten years. Most common symptom is drastic and sudden loss in weight.
Veterinarians are still researching on what may cause feline mesothelioma and granuloma, although some suggest that it may be caused by substances in cat litter boxes. The dusts in the litter boxes may contain little amount of asbestos, although this ideas is still to be verified.
Often, cats diagnosed with feline mesothelioma or feline granuloma end up dying. That is because animals are hard to treat because of the complexity of their structures. Many vets also ask cat owners with to just let consent for biopsy so the cat could contribute well to current research about feline mesothelioma and granuloma.
Euthanasia is not an issue among sick animals, although animal rights advocates could openly oppose the idea. If your cat is diagnosed with mesothelioma or granuloma and there is only less chance of prognosis, make the decision to donate the cat instead for biopsy. That way, at least the cat died for good purposes.
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