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Informative Articles

An Understanding Of Mesothelioma Cause
Mesothelioma cause refers to the thing or event responsible for mesothelioma cancers. Mesothelioma is a cancerous disease of the lining of abdominal organs, lungs and heart. Almost all the cases of mesothelioma disease somehow or the...

Press Release

Asbestos Victims Under Attack by Proposed Asbestos Legislation

Asbestos-exposed individuals have a high risk of developing mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, or other asbestos-related diseases. Woodland Hills, CA July 21, 2004 -- Mesothelioma Advisor...

Beryllium The New Asbestos?
It was American workers on the world's first atomic bomb who became the first industrial victims of beryllium, a rare but especially light, stable and strong metal whose toxic dust can kill those who breathe it. Now Seafarers doing ship maintenance...

Mesothelioma Cancer Still Affecting People
Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer that forms in the linings of the chest (the pleura) abdomen (the peritoneum) or heart (pericardium). This cancer is caused by exposure to asbestos. Asbestos is a fibrous incombustible mineral used for...

The Importance Of Asbestos Disease Information
Over the past few years, there has been requirement for asbestos disease information. This is mainly because of asbestos, a harmful contaminant that once finds widespread application in industries, construction processes and building materials....

 
Mesothelioma Surgery

Mesothelioma is a rare, deadly form of cancer which can occur in a number of types. Mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos, a group of natural fibres which are extremely dangerous if inhaled as fibres. When fibres are inhaled they become lodged in the alveoli of the lungs and over a period of time these fibres make tissue and cells abnormal and cause mesothelioma cancer. Pleural mesothelioma is the most common form of mesothelioma cancer, accounting for approximately 75% of all mesothelioma cases. The next most common form, peritoneal mesothelioma, accounts for 20% of all mesothelioma cases and pericardial mesothelioma accounts for the remaining 5%. Pleural mesothelioma affects the lining of the lungs, peritoneal mesothelioma attacks the peritoneum, which is the lining of the abdomen and pericardial mesothelioma affects the tissue surrounding the heart. All three of these types of cancer occur in extremely important areas of the human body and this is one of the reasons why it is so difficult to treat. Treatment methods such as radiation therapy can only be conducted with strict radiation dosage restrictions due to the possibility of damaging a vital organ such as the lungs or the heart.

Aggressive mesothelioma surgery is undertaken only by the strongest of mesothelioma patients because weaker patients are at risk of death within the first month after the operation. An experienced doctor will evaluate a patient before deciding that surgery is the best treatment method. He will take into account age, medical record,


disabilities, allergies, sex, even weight. The operation will then take place. Mesothelioma surgery consists of cutting open a patient and removing the majority of cancerous cells from either the lining of the lungs, abdomen or heart in an attempt to gain long term control over the cancer. Due to the proximity of the cancer to major organs of the body, the operation can only be performed by extremely skilled surgeons. There is a chance that a patient will die during the operation.

A second type of mesothelioma surgery is called palliative procedures. This is a far less dangerous and aggressive form of surgery which does not attempt to gain long term control over the cancer. Palliative procedures are designed to lessen the symptoms for a patient when it is almost certain that the patient will die inevitably from the cancer.

Mesothelioma surgery can also be coupled with radiation therapy and chemotherapy in what is known as dual therapy. Patients would undergo surgery to get rid of the majority of the cancerous mesothelioma cells and then chemotherapy and radiation therapy would be used to kill off any remaining cells. This combination of treatments has proved to be effective and has one of the highest success rates for treatments of mesothelioma cancer.

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For more information on pericardial mesothelioma such as the risks, causes, symptoms and treatments go to:

http://www.pericardialmesothelioma.co.uk, http://www.pericardial-mesothelioma.co.uk and http://www.asbestos-resource.co.uk