Posts Tagged ‘adenocarcinoma’

What is Mesothelioma?

27 Feb 2008 by Scott Thomas under Events

What is ?

cancer, or malignant , is an extremely rare disease generally affecting the lining of the chest or abdominal cavity. cancer is most strongly associated with exposure to , and can remain latent in those exposed for 30 to 40 years.

There are two main types of cancer: pleural, in which the cancer affects the lining of the chest and peritoneal, which affects the lining of the abdominal cavity. Pleural is the more common of the two, accounting for approximately three out of every four cases. Peritoneal comprises the bulk of the remainder of cancers.

Other extremely rare forms of cancer affect the lining of the heart (the pericardium) or testicles.

is fairly rare. There are an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 new cases of each year in the United States.

The incidence of mesotheliomas in the United States increased from 1970 to 1990 and then stabilized. It may now be decreasing. Most of the past increase in cases, as well as the recent decrease in cases, have been in men. The rate, although lower, has been fairly steady for women. In European countries, the rate of mesotheliomas is still increasing.

is rare in people under age 55. Its incidence increases with age. Three-fourths of people with are over 65 years old. The disease affects men 5 times more often than women. is less common in African Americans than in white Americans.

is a serious disease. By the time the symptoms appear and cancer is diagnosed, the disease is often advanced. The average survival time is about 1 year. The 5-year relative survival rate is around 10%, but this rate has been slowly improving.

The 5-year survival rate refers to the percentage of patients who live at least 5 years after their cancer is diagnosed. Many of these patients live much longer than 5 years after diagnosis, and 5-year rates are used to produce a standard way of discussing prognosis.

Five-year relative survival rates do not include patients dying of other diseases and are considered to be a more accurate way to describe the prognosis for patients with a particular type and stage of cancer. That means that relative survival only talks about deaths from . Of course, 5-year survival rates are based on patients diagnosed and initially treated more than 5 years ago. They may no longer be accurate. Improvements in treatment result in a more favorable outlook for recently diagnosed patients.

Symptoms of

Early symptoms of can be very general. Thus, they are often ignored.

Symptoms of pleural (lining of the chest) can include:

* pain in the lower back or at the side of the chest

* shortness of breath

* trouble swallowing

* hoarseness

* cough

* fever

* sweating

* tiredness

* weight loss

* swelling of the face and arms

* muscle weakness

Symptoms of peritoneal (lining of the abdominal cavity) include:

* belly pain

* weight loss

* nausea

* vomiting

* fluid or a lump in the abdomen

Of course, these same symptoms can also be caused by other minor ailments. But if you have worked with and you have any of these symptoms, you should see your doctor right away.

Diagnosing

Diagnosing is often difficult, because the symptoms are similar to those of a number of other conditions.

Diagnosis begins with a review of the patient’s medical history, including any history of exposure. A complete physical examination may be performed, including x-rays of the chest or abdomen and lung function tests. As a rule, a chest x-ray is not useful in finding early.

One test being studied is a blood test. This test measures the levels in the blood of a certain protein that is higher in people who have lung damage due to . It is even higher if the person has .

A CT (or CAT) scan or an MRI may also be useful. A CT scan is a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body created by a computer linked to an x-ray machine. In an MRI, a powerful magnet linked to a computer is used to make detailed pictures of areas inside the body. These pictures are viewed on a monitor and can also be printed.

A biopsy is needed to confirm a diagnosis of . In a biopsy, a surgeon or a medical oncologist (a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating cancer) removes a sample of tissue for examination under a microscope by a pathologist. A biopsy may be done in different ways, depending on where the abnormal area is located.

If the cancer is in the chest, the doctor may perform a thoracoscopy. In this procedure, the doctor makes a small cut through the chest wall and puts a thin, lighted tube called a thoracoscope into the chest between two ribs. Thoracoscopy allows the doctor to look inside the chest and obtain tissue samples.

If the cancer is in the abdomen, the doctor may perform a peritoneoscopy. To obtain tissue for examination, the doctor makes a small opening in the abdomen and inserts a special instrument called a peritoneoscope into the abdominal cavity.

If these procedures do not yield enough tissue, more extensive diagnostic surgery may be necessary.

If the diagnosis is , the doctor will want to learn the stage (or extent) of the disease. Staging involves more tests in a careful attempt to find out whether the cancer has spread and, if so, to which parts of the body. Knowing the stage of the disease helps the doctor plan treatment.

is described as localized if the cancer is found only on the membrane surface where it originated. It is classified as advanced if it has spread beyond the original membrane surface to other parts of the body, such as the lymph nodes, lungs, chest wall, or abdominal organs.

New developments in Diagnosis of

A recently published report in the holds out for earlier detection of , a deadly cancer linked to exposure.

Researchers compared three types of endoscopic collection for accuracy in detecting cancerous cells in the lymph nodes to determine their accuracy.

Typically, doctors use several different techniques to diagnose lung cancers, including . Those techniques include physical exams, chest X-rays, CT scans and surgical biopsies to examine the cells in the lungs and the lymph nodes.

is one of the most common cancers worldwide, and the outcomes are typically unpromising. The low survival rates for are often attributed to the difficulty of diagnosing the disease early enough for effective treatment.

This is especially true of , a disease that affects the tissues of the lining between the chest wall and the lungs. Often, by the time is detected, the cancer has reached untreatable stages.

Because of this, researchers are increasingly turning to new methods of detection that may identify deadly cancers at earlier stages when , surgery and other treatments may be effective.

The most accurate methods of diagnosis to date involve collecting cell samples from the lungs or lymph nodes for examination under a microscope. The most common method for collecting these cells is a mediastinoscopy, which is an invasive surgery that involves anesthesia and incision. The surgeon makes an incision at the top of the breast bone and inserts a thin, lighted tube into the chest cavity to withdraw cell and fluid samples.

Mediatinoscopy is typically used to determine whether fluids in the chest cavity contain cancerous cells or fibers.

In the past few years, doctors have developed less invasive procedures to collect tissue samples from the chest. These procedures use an endoscope, a small medical device that consists of a camera mounted on a flexible tube. Ultrasound probes, needles and other instruments can be inserted through the tube to remove samples for biopsy. These endoscopic procedures are far less invasive than more traditional methods, reducing the risks to patients who undergo them.

In the study reported in JAMA, researchers compared three different procedures using an endoscope, each of them considered minimally invasive:

  • Transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA)
  • Endobronchial ultra-sound guided fine needle aspiration (EBUS-FNA)
  • Transesophegeal endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle biopsy (EUS-FNA)

In each procedure, an endoscope was used to remove tissues or fluids with a fine needle. The researchers then compared the findings among the three methods to determine which was the most sensitive for detecting the presence of cancerous cells in the lymph nodes of the chest.

The study consisted of tests taken on 138 patients in the U.S. who were believed to have . Each patient underwent all three procedures in sequence.

The results of the study showed:

- 30% (42) of the patients had malignant lymph nodes

- EBUS-FNA detected 29 of the cancers. TBNA only detected 15

- EUS-FNA and EBUS-FNA used in combination detected 93% of the cancers.

The combination was also able to detect malignancies in patients who would not have been identified by CT scans of the chest. The results of the study suggest that the minimally invasive procedures may be a viable alternative to more invasive standard procedures for evaluation patients believed to have .

The lower risks associated with the procedure will make the diagnostic process more comfortable for patients and provide for a shorter recovery time.

Reference: Wallace, M, Pascual, J, Raimondo, M, et al. Minimally invasive endoscopic staging of suspected . Journal of American Medical Association. 2008. 299(5) 540-546. Source: www..com

New System May Give Patients

The Associated Press Aug. 31, 2007 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20533486

Thousands more patients each year could be offered surgery or other aggressive therapy under a new system that classifies many tumors as more treatable than in the past.

It is the first big overhaul of a decades-old method used to predict survival and help determine whether a patient will have surgery, or be treated at all.

The new guidance is to be presented at a conference of specialists in Seoul, South Korea, that starts Saturday. It is expected to be adopted by policy-making groups in the next year. is the world’s top cancer killer, claiming 1.3 million lives each year.

In the United States, 213,380 new cases and 160,390 deaths from the disease are expected this year. Nearly 60 percent of people die within one year of diagnosis, and nearly 75 percent die within two years, statistics show.

In treating it, doctors use a formula called tumor staging. It is based on a tumor’s size, how far it has spread and other factors to predict a patient’s survival odds and to guide treatment.

More precise sorting

The current system was developed from about 5,000 tumor samples from University of Texas in Houston decades ago — before improved scanning technology was available to evaluate a cancer’s spread.

The new plan is based on 100,000 tumor samples from around the world including Asia, where rates are projected to climb because of trends in smoking, unhealthy lifestyles and aging populations. It keeps four broad groupings but sorts people more precisely based on refined understanding of tumor characteristics.

The result: “There will clearly be shifting of patients from categories not operable to operable” — as many as 10,000 a year in the United States, said Dr. David Johnson, a specialist at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn. He reviewed the plan, which was partly published in a medical journal recently.

The stage of the tumor at diagnosis is the best predictor of survival. Only 20 percent of cases are diagnosed in Stages 1 or 2, when tumors are small and confined to a lung, Johnson said. About 30 percent to 40 percent are found in Stage 4, after they have widely spread. The rest are in the middle.

Five-year survival rates are 47 percent for Stage 1 and 26 percent for Stage 2, but only 8 percent for Stage 3, and 2 percent for Stage 4, according to the American College of Surgeons.

Most lung cancers are the type called ”non-small cell,“ which is covered by the new staging system. The system was developed by the International Association for the Study of , a group of specialists from around the world.

Changing groupings

Dr. Peter Goldstraw, a surgeon at the Royal Brompton Hospital in London, led the project, and Canadian scientists independently validated the recommended changes by comparing survival across geographic regions.

Among the changes: creating more sub-stages for tumor size, reassigning some large tumors to a more advanced stage, reclassifying tumors that have spread into the fluid surrounding the lung, and recognizing that spread to certain lymph nodes is more dangerous than its spread to others.

“By changing some of these groupings, some patients will get moved to an earlier stage of disease for which we tend to be more aggressive” in treatment, said Dr. Joan Schiller, a specialist at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas .

“Before, a patient may have only been offered . They may now be offered and radiation,” or more intense radiation, she said. Conversely, some people thought to have earlier-stage tumors now will be grouped with those whose tumors have widely spread, and discouraged from undergoing therapies that have little chance of helping them.

“In some cases, patients were getting inappropriately aggressive treatment,” Schiller said.

Some people with very small tumors may get away with less therapy — taking out just a segment of lung instead of an entire lobe, said Dr. Stephen Swisher, a chest surgeon at M.D. Anderson.

The impact of the changes in Europe and Japan is unclear because doctors in those countries tend to remove whole lungs rather than lobes to treat , Johnson noted. Doctors that ultimately survival will improve, but that won’t happen “unless we get patients into the right hands” and they get correct treatment, Johnson said.

Revising the staging system also will do little good if doctors don’t do the right tests to properly stage a tumor, said , deputy chief medical officer of the . Staging for lung and other types of cancer should become even more precise in the near future as biomarkers and gene tests are developed to better sort patients, he added.

© 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Risk Factors for

The main risk factor for developing is exposure to .

refers to a family of fibrous minerals made of silicate. was once used in many products such as insulation, floor tiles, door gaskets, soundproofing, roofing, patching compounds, fireproof gloves and ironing board covers, and even brake pads.

As the link between and has become well known, the use of this material has almost stopped. Most use stopped after 1989, but it is still used in some products. Experts have linked this drop in use to the fact that the rate of development of is no longer increasing [in the U.S.].

Still, up to 8 million Americans may already have been exposed to . Exposure to particles suspended in air and building materials is much less hazardous except when they are being removed.

Since is a naturally occurring mineral, it can also be found in dust and rocks in certain parts of the United States as well as the world.

According to the U.S. , as many as 733,000 schools and public buildings in the country today contain insulation. As many as 10% to 15% of schools in the United States may contain insulation.

People who may be at risk for occupational exposure include some miners, factory workers, insulation manufacturers, railroad workers, ship builders, gas mask manufacturers, and construction workers, particularly those involved with installing insulation.

Several studies have shown that family members of people exposed to at work have an increased risk of developing , because fibers are carried home on the clothes of the workers.

The incidence rate for in men is dropping, probably because they are no longer being exposed directly to in their work. But the incidence rate for in women is steady, which suggests that they are being exposed in a way that is not directly tied to work, but more to their environment either at home or work. One example would be in buildings where they work or live.

A study from also links to naturally occurring deposits in mountains.

Another important point about and is that the risk of does not drop with time after exposure to . The risk appears to be lifelong and undiminished.

There are 2 main forms of — serpentine and amphiboles. Serpentine fibers are curly and pliable. Chrysotile is the only type of serpentine fiber and it is the most widely used form of . Amphiboles are thin, rod-like fibers. There are 5 main types — crocidolite, amosite, anthrophylite, tremolite, and actinolyte. Amphiboles (particularly crocidolite) are considered to be the most carcinogenic (cancer-causing).

However, even the more commonly used chrysotile fibers are associated with malignant (cancerous) mesotheliomas and should be considered dangerous as well.

When fibers are inhaled, most are cleared in the nose, throat, trachea (windpipe), or bronchi (large breathing tubes of the lungs). Fibers are cleared by sticking to mucus inside the air passages and being coughed up or swallowed. The long, thin, fibers are less readily cleared, and they may reach the ends of the small airways and penetrate into the pleural lining of the lung and chest wall. These fibers may then directly injure mesothelial cells of the pleura, and eventually cause .

fibers can also damage cells of the lung and result in (formation of scar tissue in the lung), and/or .

The risk of among people exposed to is increased by 7 times, compared with the general population. Indeed, , , and are the 3 most frequent causes of and disease among people with heavy exposure.

Peritoneal , which forms in the abdomen, may result from coughing up and swallowing inhaled fibers. Cancers of the larynx, pancreas, esophagus, colon, and kidney may also come from exposure, but the increased risk is small.

The risk of developing a is related to how much a person was exposed to and how long this exposure lasted. People exposed at an early age, for a long period of time, and at higher levels are most likely to develop this cancer.

Mesotheliomas take a long time to develop. The time between first exposure to and diagnosis of is usually between 20 and 50 years.

Related Lung CancerLung cancer, or bronchial carcinoma, occurs in several forms. The most common causes of are smoking and .

This web site has focused on the most lethal of the lung cancers - . Not every -related , however, is a . Other thoracic carcinomas, such as , are also caused by exposure to .

The connection between exposure and was noted as early as 1925, and confirmed over the next 70 years by many epidemiologic studies of -exposed workers.

The four main types of commercially used , chrysotile, amosite, anthophyllite, and mixtures containing crocidolite, have all been associated with an increased risk of . About one in seven people who suffer from , a lung disease resulting from high exposure to , eventually develop .

is estimated to account for 3,400 to 8,500 new cases in the United States each year. Like , the latency period between exposure and the development of related may be two, three, four, or even more decades.

Very often, -related cancer victims also suffer from , a scarring of the lung tissue caused by exposure. About one in seven people with will eventually develop .

Although commonly associated with , is a type of cancer that develops in cells lining glandular types of internal organs, such as the lungs, breasts, colon, prostate, stomach, pancreas, and cervix.

Another type of , mucinous , accounts for only 10-15% of all adenocarcinomas and is particular to aggressive carcinomas that are comprised of at least sixty percent mucus. Non-small cell lung cancers make up over three quarters of all new cases in the United States.

While there is only one type of small cell , there are three types of non-small cell . The three types of non-small cell are squamous carcinoma, large cell carcinoma, and . When develops in the lung’s air sacs, it is called bronchioalveolar . About forty percent of all cases diagnosed today are .

The progression of is quite unpredictable. In most cases, spreads slowly and causes very few symptoms. But it can also be extremely invasive, aggressively spreading through the body and causing before it can be treated. Given the disease’s variability, the five-year prognosis for patients with is dim: most are given only a 10 percent chance of survival.

Sometimes, tumors spread to the liver, adrenal glands, and bones, making much more difficult to treat. Symptoms of may include shortness of breath, the coughing up of blood, fatigue, chest pains, and unexplained weight loss. is usually treated with surgery, radiation therapy, and .

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Mesothelioma and Asbestos

22 Feb 2008 by Wendi Lewis under Events

is Leading Risk Factor for

The main risk factor for developing is exposure to . refers to a family of fibrous minerals made of silicate. was once used in many products such as insulation, floor tiles, door gaskets, soundproofing, roofing, patching compounds, fireproof gloves and ironing board covers, and even brake pads. As the link between and has become well known, the use of this material has almost stopped. Most use stopped after 1989, but it is still used in some products.

Experts have linked this drop in use to the fact that the rate of development of is no longer increasing [in the U.S.]. Still, up to 8 million Americans may already have been exposed to .

Exposure to particles suspended in air and building materials is much less hazardous except when they are being removed. Since is a naturally occurring mineral, it can also be found in dust and rocks in certain parts of the United States as well as the world. According to the U.S. , as many as 733,000 schools and public buildings in the country today contain insulation. As many as 10% to 15% of schools in the United States may contain insulation.

People who may be at risk for occupational exposure include some miners, factory workers, insulation manufacturers, railroad workers, ship builders, gas mask manufacturers, and construction workers, particularly those involved with installing insulation. Several studies have shown that family members of people exposed to at work have an increased risk of developing , because fibers are carried home on the clothes of the workers.

The incidence rate for in men is dropping, probably because they are no longer being exposed directly to in their work. But the incidence rate for in women is steady, which suggests that they are being exposed in a way that is not directly tied to work, but more to their environment either at home or work. One example would be in buildings where they work or live. A study from also links to naturally occurring deposits in mountains.

Another important point about and is that the risk of does not drop with time after exposure to . The risk appears to be lifelong and undiminished. There are 2 main forms of — serpentine and amphiboles.

Serpentine fibers are curly and pliable. Chrysotile is the only type of serpentine fiber and it is the most widely used form of .

Amphiboles are thin, rod-like fibers. There are 5 main types — crocidolite, amosite, anthrophylite, tremolite, and actinolyte. Amphiboles (particularly crocidolite) are considered to be the most carcinogenic (cancer-causing). However, even the more commonly used chrysotile fibers are associated with malignant (cancerous) mesotheliomas and should be considered dangerous as well.

When fibers are inhaled, most are cleared in the nose, throat, trachea (windpipe), or bronchi (large breathing tubes of the lungs). Fibers are cleared by sticking to mucus inside the air passages and being coughed up or swallowed. The long, thin, fibers are less readily cleared, and they may reach the ends of the small airways and penetrate into the pleural lining of the lung and chest wall. These fibers may then directly injure mesothelial cells of the pleura, and eventually cause .

fibers can also damage cells of the lung and result in (formation of scar tissue in the lung), and/or . The risk of among people exposed to is increased by 7 times, compared with the general population. Indeed, , , and are the 3 most frequent causes of and disease among people with heavy exposure.

Peritoneal , which forms in the abdomen, may result from coughing up and swallowing inhaled fibers. Cancers of the larynx, pancreas, esophagus, colon, and kidney may also come from exposure, but the increased risk is small. The risk of developing a is related to how much a person was exposed to and how long this exposure lasted. People exposed at an early age, for a long period of time, and at higher levels are most likely to develop this cancer.

Mesotheliomas take a long time to develop. The time between first exposure to and diagnosis of is usually between 20 and 50 years.

(A-den-oh-KAR-sih-NOH-muh) - Cancer that begins in cells that line certain internal organs and that have gland-like (secretory) properties.

Although commonly associated with , is a type of cancer that develops in cells lining glandular types of internal organs, such as the lungs, breasts, colon, prostate, stomach, pancreas, and cervix. Another type of , mucinous , accounts for only 10-15% of all adenocarcinomas and is particular to aggressive carcinomas that are comprised of at least sixty percent mucus.

Non-small cell lung cancers make up over three quarters of all new cases in the United States. While there is only one type of small cell , there are three types of non-small cell . The three types of non-small cell are squamous carcinoma, large cell carcinoma, and . When develops in the lung’s air sacs, it is called bronchioalveolar . About forty percent of all cases diagnosed today is .

Like other cancers, is the growth of abnormal cells. These cancerous cells multiply out of control and form a tumor. In the lung, as the tumor grows, it destroys parts of the lung. Eventually, the tumor’s abnormal cells can spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body, including the local lymph nodes in the chest and the central portion of the chest, called the mediastinum; the liver; the bones; the adrenal glands; and other organs, including the brain.

is more likely than other types of to be contained in one area of the body. If it is truly localized, it may also respond better than other lung cancers to treatment, especially surgical removal of the tumor and draining lymph nodes.

is the most common form of . Most of this type of cancer is found in smokers. However, it also is the most frequent type of seen in nonsmokers. It is the most common form of seen in women and people younger than 45.

As with other forms of , you are more likely to get if you:

  • Are exposed to . is a fibrous mineral that is used in home insulation, fireproofing, tiles for floors and ceilings, automobile brake linings, and other products. It is believed that fibers can cause . People at risk of include workers who are exposed to on the job (miners, construction workers, shipyard workers and auto mechanics who work with brakes), and people who live or work in buildings in which building products that contain are deteriorating. In addition to the type of , individuals who have been exposed to , and particular types of , are also at a significant greater risk of developing a specialized type of called .
  • Are exposed to other carcinogens in the workplace. These include uranium, arsenic, vinyl chloride, nickel chromates, coal products, mustard gas, chloromethyl ethers, gasoline, diesel exhaust and high levels of talc dust.
  • Smoke cigarettes. Smokers have 13 times more risk of developing than nonsmokers. Cigarette smoke is associated with most cases of . Smoking is by far the leading risk factor for , substantially more significant than all the other risk factors combined.
  • Breathe cigarette smoke. Nonsmokers who inhale the cigarette fumes of smokers have an increased risk of .
  • Are exposed to radon gas. Radon is a colorless, odorless radioactive gas that is formed in the ground. It seeps into the lower floors of homes and public buildings and can contaminate drinking water. Radon exposure is the second leading cause of . It’s not clear whether elevated radon levels contribute to in nonsmokers. However, has shown that radon exposure contributes to increased rates of in smokers and in people exposed to higher levels of radon, such as miners. You can test the levels of radon in your home and surrounding area by using commercially available radon testing kits.

Your doctor will ask you whether you smoke or whether you live with a smoker. If you smoke, your doctor will ask you how much you smoke and how long you have smoked. Your doctor also will ask whether you have worked in an industry where you may have been exposed to or other carcinogens.

Call your doctor promptly if you have any of the symptoms of , especially if you are a smoker or you have worked in an industry with high exposure to .

The outlook depends on the stage of the cancer and the overall health of the patient. In general, the prognosis is poor, especially if the has spread to areas outside of the chest wall or has involved the lymph nodes of the mediastinum. This cancer can only be cured when surgery or radiation therapy can completely remove the tumor. However, many lung cancers are diagnosed at a stage when this is not possible. About 17 percent of people with survive more than 5 years after diagnosis.

exposure increases the risk of by nine times. A combination of exposure and cigarette smoking raises the risk to as much as 50 times.

A person who has had is more likely to develop a second than the average person is to develop a first .

Repeated respiratory infections, such as bronchitis or pneumonia, can be a sign of .

Information

and containing materials are responsible for causing cancer and disease cases around the world. Two of the most dangerous forms of disease are and . has been used in thousands of products for more than a century because it is highly versatile, abundant, and relatively cheap. Since is a naturally occurring mineral, it requires no manufacturing. Instead, only has to be mined, crushed, and added into products during the manufacturing process. Since is basically a rock, it is highly impervious to heat. It also happens to be chemically inert. Since its basic mineral structure is shaped in long, thin fibers, it can be broken down into these fibers to add strength and flexibility to nearly any product. A characteristic of is what is known as tensile strength. It allows products to be flexible yet strong while not adding excessive weight. is one of few minerals that can actually be woven. was commonly woven into materials that made excellent insulators, but were too brittle to be used by alone because they would crumble. made insulation products flexible and durable since it was not affected by heat. is not a very effective insulator by itself. All these qualities add up to a very useful and inexpensive product but some of them also make toxic to those that inhale fibers. There are six forms of characterized by differences in structure and color. is also divided into two categories: serpentine and amphibole . Serpentine is made of curly fibers and amphibole is made of long, straight fibers. Both types of are considered dangerous, though it is thought amphibole forms, including crocidolite and amosite, may be more dangerous to humans.

Exposure

Unfortunately, there are many opportunities for exposure since was used so abundantly in both industrial and consumer products. Most people that develop cancer and other diseases, including and , usually have a history of chronic exposure to . is somewhat unique in this respect, as cases have developed in people with limited exposure. As a result, there is no established “safe” level of exposure. Workers are exposed to when the substance or products containing are cut, crushed, sanded, drilled or otherwise disturbed. When left undisturbed, -containing materials can be relatively safe. In cases where materials are mined, installed, removed, demolished, or serviced, exposure can be a risk unless strict abatement techniques are employed. When inhaled, microscopic fibers can make it past the body’s natural defenses and deep into the lungs causing disease. Once within the lungs, the fibers can irritate lung tissue leading to cancer. If fibers make their way to the alveoli or air sacs in the lungs where oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange takes place, they can cause irritation and scarring called . fibers that pass through the alveoli and into the pleural mesothelium, can eventually lead to cancer in the form of tumors and malignant .

Products

The following is a list of products that commonly contain :Roofing shinglesFelt and tar joint compoundCement pipesWall boardCeiling tilesSiding gasketsLaboratory hoodsMastics and sealantsBrake liningsFire doorsInsulation on some wiringCooling towersPaintTaping compound (thermal)Flexible duct connectorsGreenhouse materialsAppliance insulationSheet vinyl floor coveringPlaster sprayed-on fireproofingRefractory cement chalk boardsInsulation on steam pipesHeat resistant gloves and suitsAsbestos blankets Cork Board

History

was first discovered to be dangerous at the beginning of last century. It has been known as a carcinogen since the 1960s and was subsequently banned in more than 30 countries under grounds that there is no safe level of exposure. Mining and manufacture of most products has been ceased in the U.S., yet we continue to import more than 30 million pounds of in foreign products each year. A new recommendation by an -sponsored panel of industry members and other experts on the topic called for a ban of all importation, manufacture, and mining of and containing products in the U.S. Although this may be a good sign, it also means that new risks of exposure are still developing. Since cancer and diseases take years and even decades to develop, many more cases of disease will be diagnosed.

Legislation

On March 1, 2007, Senator (D-WA) introduced S. 742: Ban in America Act of 2007 to the 110th . This is an act to amend the Toxic Substances Control Act to reduce the health risks posed by -containing materials and products having -containing material, and for other purposes. The bill is an effort to ban all production and use of in America , launch public education campaigns to raise about its dangers and expand and treatment of diseases cause by . Murray’s legislation, which was first introduced in the 107th , will also authorize additional studies to determine which commercial products today still contain , increase funding for -related diseases, and call for a national registry to help public health professionals track this deadly -related disease. Studies estimate that during the next decade, 100,000 victims in the United States will die of an related disease – equaling 30 deaths per day. The bill passed in the Senate on Oct. 4, 2007 by Unanimous Consent.

Currently, the companion to this bill, , the Bruce Vento Ban and Prevent Act of 2007, is in committee in the House of Representatives. The House bill toughened the legislation, under the direction of the Environment and Hazardous Material Subcommittee of the House’s Energy and Commerce Committee, eliminating an exception for asbestos present at 1 percent or less by weight, making the ban a matter of federal statute rather than regulation, and adding enforcement provisions. The bill must pass committee to make it before the full House for a vote.

Critically needed medical funding provisions from Sen. Murray’s and Congresswoman McCollum’s legislation have not yet been added to the Committee Print. Supporters are urged to contact their Representative in Washington, DC, to urge inclusion of the funding and swift passage of the complete bill once the funding is in place.

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How to keep hoping?

18 Feb 2008 by Wendi Lewis under News, Organizations

Probably one of the most discouraging things about is the fact that it is hard to diagnose and hard to treat. The diagnosis for most patients is bleak. By the time the cancer is diagnosed, it’s often advanced. Most patients only live for a year, maybe two, after being diagnosed.

This is a cancer that has a really long incubation period, with the time between first exposure to and the development of ranging from 20 and 50 years. Even scarier, the (ACS ) says that the risk of DOES NOT DROP with time after exposure to . The risk appears to be lifelong and undiminished.

As a result, most patients diagnosed with are older. The ACS says about three-fourths of people diagnosed are over 65 years old. They may already be weak from symptoms of the disease, or unable to tolerate aggressive therapies.

Of course, it’s now known that exposure to is the main reason for the development of , and also (formation of scar tissue in the lungs) and , another form of the -related cancer. The highest risk group seems to be people who were exposed to through their work. The ACS estimates that up to 8 million Americans may already have been exposed to .

As of grows, it is hoped that more people who know they were exposed to will seek diagnosis early. It has been shown that a chest x-ray often isn’t very effective in diagnosing , so there has been interest in a blood test that measures the levels of certain proteins that is higher in people who have lung damage due to .

But even with early diagnosis, traditional cancer treatments, like , radiation and surgery, are not very effective against . One problem is that it does not grow as a single mass. Instead it tends to spread along surfaces, nerves, and blood vessels. This makes it hard for one or more types of treatment to get rid of all of the disease. Cancer treatments may ease symptoms, like shortness of breath, pain, bleeding or trouble swallowing, but they are unlikely to provide a longterm cure.

So how do people continue to ? What keeps them fighting? I’d really like to know. Please share your story with me.

Also, a GREAT site to check out is the Support Community. Their link is in the blogroll, or type in www.lchelp.org. They have message boards, chats, information and even a place to start your own blog.

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