COMMON MESOTHELIOMA TYPE AND ITS TREATMENTS

COMMON MESOTHELIOMA TYPE AND ITS TREATMENTS

by John Porter

What a paradox! Mesothelioma cannot be fully cured. This is one real fact. And the other is Mesothelioma can be cent percent prevented only if asbestos dust fibers are not allowed to mix in the atmosphere and pollute the air in which we respire. Isn’t the saying that prevention is better than cure exclusively appropriate in this context? To completely wipe out the presence of asbestos dust in the air the use of asbestos has to be totally put off. The law and order has to be made every strict to put a ban on the use of asbestos. Again an alternative for asbestos has to be figured out to serve such similar purposes where asbestos was used. Let’s hope that the day is near when no sign of Mesothelioma will be present in the human civilization. But now when the disease is taking a dangerous shape, all of us must become aware of it. How many types of Mesothelioma can attack your body and what type of treatments can be availed? This is something quite preliminary and each one of us must have knowledge about it. Three types of Mesothelioma  Pleural Mesothelioma  Peritoneal Mesothelioma  Pericardial Mesothelioma These are the three types of Mesothelioma cancer known till date and among them the Pleural Mesothelioma is the most widespread whereas the Pericardial Mesothelioma is the rare type. A mere group of 5 percent becomes the victim of this rare type of cancer. Pleural Mesothelioma Pleural Mesothelioma is the most known form of Mesothelioma affecting the workers of the asbestos industries. The Mesothelium covering around the lungs beneath your chest is badly affected by the asbestos dust. Slowly water starts accumulating in those cavities and take the shape of tumors. Initial symptoms pop up as pain across the chest, running out of breath and suffering from cough and cold. The initial diagnosis is often mistaken for influenza. But with time some other symptoms become prominent like weight loss, frequent fever and the coughing blood. Further medical tests confirm that you are actually suffering from Pleural Mesothelioma. The treatment Radiation therapy and chemotherapy are the most appropriate means of treating the Pleural Mesothelioma patients. Better ways of treatment are under research and may be they can help the patient to get fully cured. Surgical method is only used when the condition of the patient is really adverse and immediately the tumors have to be removed from the body. Surgery causes an immense pain to the body and it becomes tough to get back to the normal life, hence avoided in the first step.

Article source: ArticlePros.com

Lillian Ruddy Mourns Husband’s Death and Son’s Sickness due to Asbestos Exposure

Note: Names have been changed to retain the anonymity of the entities/individual.

Lillian’s husband George Ruddy was only 62 when he passed away after fighting a very agonizing battle with mesothelioma only after 14 months of diagnosis. George worked in the US Navy in the shipyard as in charge of operations in the state of New York City. He was a well admired employee for his services and received many distinctions during his job tenure. However, in spite of all the good things about his job, he became its victim. It was during his job while working with ships that he inhaled asbestos and contracted mesothelioma.

It was a year after his retirement that George developed problem in breathing problems and pain in the chest. He was rushed to hospital where he was discovered with deadly pericardial mesothelioma. Lillian and their son William consulted the best doctors and cancer specialists. With medicines the doctors were able to control his pain but not for long. Due to his ill health, the doctors could not operate him and remove the affected organ. George became very weak and after the 13th month his body stopped responding to medicines. His condition continued to deteriorate and he became very weak.

Finally, on a bright sunny day George left Lillian and their son William alone. The family was very distraught but went on with their lives cherishing the wonderful days they had spend together as a family.

But their days of woes were not over yet. Four years later, when everything was coming back to normal and Lillian and William were beginning to rebuild their lives, calamity struck again. This time William was the target of asbestos. They could never have imagined that working in a construction company could cause asbestos exposure. Upon diagnosis it was found that William was suffering from asbestosis, a serious lung disease caused by exposure to asbestos.

William was suffering from painful symptoms like shortness of breath and cough. The company William worked for did not offer any health insurance and our own was unable to cover the costs of treatment. However, we were fortunate enough to find an organization that helps people suffering from asbestos diseases and thanks to them; William is now getting treatment at a reputable cancer institute. William is getting medicines and help to fight this disease. After George’s death, this news was very shocking for Lillian. She is coping very well, but wonders if there is going to any end to her suffering and woes.

Lillian is worried and dreads loosing her son too like she lost her husband. Is there no hope for people like Lillian who’s loved ones were exposed to asbestos without any knowledge and safety measures and were left to suffer and die a painful death.

Joanne Hudson: Surviving Mesothelioma Patient in California, USA

Note: Names have been changed to retain the anonymity of the entities/individual.

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Joanne Hudson is a 58-year-old wife and mother of five children. She developed niggling pain on her right side in the fall of 1999. She generally perceived her situation as exhaustion from too much exercise. Joanne very well understood the benefits of remaining healthy and fit. Everyday, she pushed herself to remain focused on her tough exercise program that suggested her to eat right and workout for at least an hour. She endured the pain and remained loyal to her regime.

Joanne’s terrible episodes of pain ruined her good night sleep. In order to cope with the pain, she took pain relievers that did little good. Slowly and gradually, Joanne began to notice a swelling on her right side. This made her rush to the hospital to sought medical help from her primary care physician. On 23rd November 1994, several chest x-rays were taken from multiple angles that showed a large right-sided pleural effusion. After examining Joanne’s films, the doctor expressed his concerns and ordered Joanne to have a CT scan. The CT scan on 3rd December 1994 established the suspicion for pneumonia due to the presence of a large pleural effusion on Joanne’s right side. Joanne was immediately hospitalized for further treatment.

On December 5, 1994, a right-sided thoracentesis was conducted on Joanne, in which fluid was removed from her chest. The fluid was sent to the laboratory for cytological assessment and immunostaining, which concluded the presence of malignant mesothelioma cells. A chest x-ray taken on December 27, 1994 revealed reduction of the pleural effusion with abnormalities in the pleural nodules of the lungs. Joanne was then recommended an ultrasound-guided thoracentesis with a fine needle biopsy to further diagnose the situation. On January 10, 1995, doctors successfully sucked out 1.5 liters of fluid from Joanne which again came positive for malignant mesothelioma. However, the procedure did not conclude the diagnostic assessment.

Three weeks later, a right thoracotomy was performed on Joanne to obtain the tissue samples of the pleura. To prevent excessive pleural effusions, Joanne’s surgeon conducted a talc pleurodesis. This uncomfortable procedure left Joanne with pain, anger and an eight-inch scar. Again, the pathological testing of the tissue biopsy came as saddening news of her having cancer, pleural mesothelioma of epithelioid type, which was incurable. The doctors declared asbestos as the real cause of her disease that was a very shocking discovery.

But Joanne and her family did not lose hope. They stood firmly together in their struggle against the deadly cancer of mesothelioma. Joanne, then, sought medical intervention from an oncologist, who prescribed immediate chemotherapy and radiation therapy. But the Hudsons wanted a second opinion as the chances of recovery after therapies were grim.

Joanne and her family learned about Dr. Philip Walter of the University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine. When they went to see him, he ordered Joanne some tests, including a CT scan. After reviewing the CT scan, Dr. Walter concluded that the tumor had entered the chest wall and thus, no surgery could be done to remove it. She was suggested to undergo chemotherapy as her last resort. Luckily, Joanne found an oncologist in her area who was permitted to use Alimta. On March 23, 1995, Joanne began her first treatment of Alimta/Cisplatin along with vitamins and B12 shots.

Joanne suffered immense pain and nausea after the first cycle of the chemotherapy, and was even hospitalized for three days. But she endured the pain. After taking three treatments of Alimta/Cisplatin, Joanne noticed that there were no major side effects to her health and her hairlessness decreased. Even her oncologist agreed that her condition was much better then, if compared to when she first started the chemotherapy.

Joanne, with high hopes, returned to Dr. Walter for a CT scan on April 28. Sadly, there was no change or decrease in the size of her tumor even after the painful cycles of chemotherapy. Both Dr. Walter and the oncologist agreed to stop the Alimta/Cisplatin treatment on her. Instead they suggested a more excruciating treatment of radiation with the combination of Taxol and Carboplatin chemotherapy. Joanne very well understood the amount of suffering she had to go through, but refused to give up. On May 2, 1995, Joanne began her new regime of chemotherapy and has ever since continued with the treatment.

Currently, Joanne is doing very well. Apart from the usual chemotherapy treatment, she is taking shots of Neupogen to rebuild her red blood cells. She also takes antinauseant, morphine and steroid tablets hoping to find a cure. With all the pain and struggle Joanne had gone through, it can be rightly said that she is a fighter. She is determined to fight hard and is beating the odds with the support and love of her family and the faith she has in her doctor’s prescription.

Another Hardship for Edward Davis in Chicago, Illinois; Due to Asbestos Exposure

Note: Names have been changed to retain the anonymity of the entities/individual.

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Edward Davis was a busy and hardworking man. He opened a small consulting firm after retiring from the US Navy and earning a degree in Psychology by attending a night school at the age of 41. From his teenage years, Edward experienced hardships and tough times. His father died when he was only 10, leaving his mother to raise him all alone. Three years later, his mother also left him and married a lawyer in San Francisco, leaving Edward to be brought up in foster care. Despite all these adversities, Edward did not give up hope and courageously faced the challenges ahead.

In 1965, 18 year old Edward joined the Navy and served till 1988. In the Navy, Edward’s job was to maintain and overhaul carriers, cruisers and destroyers. After leaving the Navy, Edward moved to Chicago, Illinois, and established his consultation business while simultaneously attending a night college to get a degree. Two months later, Edward met his wife Susan and soon afterwards they decided to have a family together.

In October of 1998, 51 year old Edward began to feel unusual tiredness and developed persistent dry cough. His family doctor prescribed him antibiotics and advised him to slow down. But for Edward, ‘slowing down’ was not an option. He had a business to look after and a family of 4 children (two boys and two girls) to take care of. Thus, Edward continued his antibiotics treatment and remained active in his work.

By New Year, Edward’s condition began to get worse. He experienced severe chest pains with nausea and vomiting. His doctor ran a CT scan that showed enlarged lymph nodes and recommended Edward to a pulmonary doctor. Edward, along with his wife Susan, met with Dr. J. B. White who gave the couple a possibility of cancer. Upon hearing the shocking diagnosis of cancer, Edward rushed to seek help from a thoracic surgeon.

An appointment was made with Dr. Sheldon of University of Chicago Hospitals, who performed a diagnostic thoracoscopy to find any tumor(s) inside Edward’s body. When the test results came positive for tumor, Dr. Sheldon planned to perform a thoracotomy to remove the cancer from Edward’s right lung. Prior to the surgery, Dr. Sheldon inquired Edward about his ever being in contact with asbestos as it was the only cause of his cancer. Unfortunately, Edward could not recall ever being exposed to asbestos in his life. But his wife, Susan put light on his naval career.

It was during his post in the Navy that Edward was exposed to large amount of asbestos. On 23rd January 1999, Edward went to have the thoracoscopy. After the procedure, Dr. Sheldon sent Edward’s tissue samples and lymph nodes from his chest cavity to the laboratory. The pathology report confirmed the diagnosis of malignant pleural mesothelioma, biphasic type. Moreover, a new CT scan confirmed the presence of fluid in his right lung.

Dr. Sheldon advised Edward to have another surgery in which he would try to scrap off as much cancer as possible without doing a usual extra-pleural pneumonectomy (EPP), where they had to take his affected lung out. Though they had spared his lungs, the surgery was equally painful and did not guarantee a full recovery. Upon opening his chest, Dr. Sheldon and his team found the disease more extensive than what they had anticipated. The tumor had spread to the heart and diaphragm. Dr. Sheldon, carefully scraped, burned and cut the tumor growing inside Edward’s body and managed to get rid off the entire visible tumor. Edward remained hospitalized for about two weeks during which he suffered immense pain and post-operative depression.

Now that the tumor had been eliminated, Dr. Sheldon decided to put Edward through radiation treatments. Every month, Edward has to go through at least two radiation treatments to control the growth of the tumor.

Presently, Edward is doing well. He is enjoying his life with boundless energy, enthusiasm and love of his family members. Though, he has suffered many hardships in life, he has sure emerged as a true fighter, defeating mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma Survivors

Although mesothelioma does not have a 100% survival rate, yet there are people who have fought this deadly cancer successfully and are now living a happy and healthy life. Mesothelioma patients when diagnosed in early or middle stages have a definite chance of recovery. Hope and will to fight the disease play a very important part in surviving this deadly cancer. Fighting mesothelioma also means getting equipped with all there is to know about the disease, reading as much as possible about the disease and having the will power to defeat the cancer.

Dealing with mesothelioma not only brings with it lots of pain and suffering but also expensive treatments and medical bills. However, with the assistance of specialized doctors, knowledgeable lawyers and supportive family members, mesothelioma can be effectively defeated.

Here we have collected various experiences of the patients who were diagnosed with different types of mesothelioma and how they fought the disease to emerge as survivors.

	Edward Davis from Chicago, Illinois Recovers from Malignant Mesothelioma with Treatment
	Joanne Hudson: Surviving Mesothelioma Patient in California, USA.
	Lillian Ruddy Mourns Husband’s Death and Son’s Sickness due to Asbestos Exposure

However, to our utmost regret, not every patient is lucky to survive and live a normal life after contracting mesothelioma. Most of the patients who suffer from mesothelioma cancer do not make it to the end and die a painful death suffering from excruciating symptoms. The most tragic thing being that some of these patients were not even directly exposed to asbestos, but still they were the victims.

Here we have collected some real life stories from people who were exposed to asbestos, development mesothelioma cancer or other asbestos related disease and died after fighting a long and agonizing battle with this deadly cancer!

	Construction worker, Norman Peterson, exposed to asbestos in Ohio Valley, Ohio.
	Asbestos Exposure left installer, James Anderson, dead in Mexico.
	Merciless jaws of Asbestos deprive a grieving Mother from her Son in Alpine, Texas.
	Asbestos- Contaminated Water caused numerous Harmful Diseases in Astern Lane, Wisconsin.
	A retired US Navy Veteran, William Hawk, Died after developing Mesothelioma in Vernon, Connecticut.
	Michael Vermont, a Mechanical Engineer from Los Angeles, California, Died of Mesothelioma as a result of Asbestos Exposure.
	Real Estate Developer, Patrick Richardson, Exposed to Asbestos in Santa Barbara, California; Died within a Year.
	Asbestos Exposure caused a materials engineer to die in Australia.
	A Patient's Discovery of Asbestos as the real cause of Mesothelioma.
	Hilary's Shocking Mesothelioma Diagnosis.
	An All-American Asbestos Tragedy.
	Valerie's inheritance of Mesothelioma from her Boilermaker Father.
	Ezequiel Chaim: Asbestos Exposure; Construction Worker; Batesville, Mississippi.
	Mesothelioma Strikes Back.