MesoNews

Alternative Cancer Treatments - Information

2007-12-04T23:26:00.000-08:00

If you have been diagnosed with cancer your immediate thoughts go to "what can I do about it?" Your doctor will offer his opinion and present options that you logically assume are the best that are available. You have lived your life, trusting the system, not realizing that the system is biased to support the economic interests of the providers and not necessarily the best interests of the patient. It is estimated that every cancer patient is worth a half million dollars to the industry by the time the patient dies following their last chemotherapy treatment.

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Brachytheraphy - Intraoperative Radiation Therapy, Mesothelioma

2007-12-04T23:24:00.000-08:00

Brachytherapy is the use of radioactive substances to deliver radiation treatments. The term “brachy” comes from the Greek word for short range. This therapy is contrasted to that given as external beam radiation over a long range. Since the radioactive substances that are used in these treatments are only effective in the short range, they need to be placed in or very near the target. Hence, for mesothelioma, brachytherapy can be used as an “Intraoperative Radiation Therapy” (IORT).

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Photodynamic Therapy & Treatment of Mesothelioma

2007-12-04T22:50:00.000-08:00

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) uses a combination of a photoactive drug (a drug that is activated by light) and light from a laser. Both work by targeting and destroying cancer cells while limiting damage to surrounding healthy tissue. Light therapy starts with an injection of a non-toxic photosensitizer drug. The drug goes into all cells of the body, but normal cells excrete it in about two days. Timing is crucial, because the tumor cells need to be exposed to the laser light after the drug has left the healthy cells but before the drug has left the mesothelioma cells. The laser light will activate the drug present within those cells and destroy them.

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F.D.A. Criticizes Avastin Use for Breast Cancer

2007-12-04T02:48:00.000-08:00

Genentech’s drug Avastin did not help women with breast cancer live meaningfully longer, and it caused significant side effects, including a few deaths, the Food and Drug Administration said on december 04 in a review of the drug. The analysis by the agency’s staff appeared to dim the prospects that Avastin would win a approval as a treatment for breast cancer. Genentech’s stock fell $2.75, or 3.6 percent, yesterday, closing at $73.50.

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Mesothelioma Treatment

2007-12-04T02:44:00.000-08:00

Treatments for mesothelioma are based on the stage of the disease and the patient’s age and general health. The most common treatments are surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Multimodality therapy, the combination of surgery, radiation, and/or chemotherapy, is a common therapeutic approach for early stage mesothelioma. Trimodality therapy, in which all three of these modalities are used, is considered the most effective aggressive approach. Research is ongoing to find a cure and more effective treatments for mesothelioma. Clinical trials are ongoing to develop and test new and more effective treatments. Clinical trials should be discussed with your doctor before beginning treatment.

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Stress Following Your Plastic Surgery

2007-11-21T21:48:00.002-08:00

Plastic surgery produces such amazing results that many people fail to take into account what is involved in the process. This can lead to unnecessary stress following a procedure.
The purpose of plastic surgery is really two fold. It is to improve an aspect of your body that you are unhappy with on a daily basis. By so doing, plastic surgery should also add to your mental well being since you are addressing some aspect of your body that makes you unhappy. While this sounds straightforward, many patients fail to seriously focus on what is going to occur during and after the procedure. This can lead to extreme stress and unhappiness following it.

Mesothelioma: Caused by Second Hand Exposure to Asbestos?

2007-11-21T21:48:00.001-08:00

Cancer is a cruel disease and mesothelioma is one of the cruelest types of cancer known to man. I say that because after reading a personal story about a 73 year old wife and mother of seven children who passed away from mesothelioma, I realized that mesothelioma took her life through second hand exposure to asbestos. According to the National Cancer Institute, mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer in which cancerous cells are found in the mesothelium, a protective sac that covers most of the body’s internal organs. It is a rare type of cancer with only about 2,000 cases recorded in the United States each year.

Alimta®/Platinum-compound Combination Confirmed Active in Mesothelioma

2007-11-21T21:47:00.001-08:00

According to results recently presented at the 2007 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the chemotherapy combination consisting of Alimta® (pemetrexed) plus a platinum compound (Platinol® [cisplatin] or Paraplatin® [carboplatin]) has been confirmed as an active therapeutic regimen in the treatment of patients with previously untreated malignant pleural mesothelioma. Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a rare cancer that develops in the tissue that covers the lungs and lines the interior of the chest. It is often caused by chronic exposure to asbestos.

Mesothelioma Caused by Electronics Production?

2007-11-21T21:46:00.002-08:00

Can Mesothelioma Be Caused By By-Products from Production of Electronics

Doctors are just now beginning to see cases of mesothelioma appearing in electronic production workers throughout the world. Since most producers of electronics have only been in business for less than twenty five years most of the cases of mesothelioma are just beginning to appear.
Mesothelioma is a disease in which cells of the mesothelium (mesothelium is a membrane that covers and protects most of the internal organs of the body)become abnormal and divide without control. They can damage and invade nearby tissues and organs. Cancer cells can also metastasize from their original site to other parts of the body.

Who is at Risk for Mesothelioma?

2007-11-21T21:46:00.001-08:00

Mesothelioma is a deadly disease which has topped news headlines for the last decade. It is contracted through exposure to airborne fibers of asbestos. Sadly, due to the under-regulation of asbestos usage in years past and still today, millions of people have been exposed to airborne fibers and as a result thousands have contracted the disease.
It can be safely said that almost everyone in the world has been exposed to asbestos in varying degrees. Because of the unique nature of the disease, even those who have suffered only minimal exposure are at risk of contracting the disease. In effect, virtually everyone has some risk of contracting Mesothilioma.

Firefighters Link Health Problems to Line of Work

2007-11-21T21:42:00.000-08:00

Firefighters put their lives on the line every day of their working life, but some might be surprised to find that's not only because they're rushing into an inferno.The United Firefighters Union says at least five forms of cancer are much more common among firefighters than the general population. Australian firefighters are now calling for better medical care for some types of cancer that have been linked to the profession.
The union's national president, Mick Farrell, says cancer is far more insidious than burning buildings.

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Asbestos.net Relaunches Web's Most In-Depth Asbestos Information Library

2007-11-21T21:41:00.000-08:00

When the publishers of the web site Asbestos.net set out to re-create the site after nearly 10 years online, they had one goal in mind – to create the single most comprehensive resource on the Internet, or perhaps in any form, on the topic of asbestos and the effects that it can have on the lives of people in the United States or around the world.
And after extensive research, consultation, writing, editing, and coding, that goal has been accomplished: Asbestos.net is currently the most in-depth source of information on asbestos available - anywhere.

Mesothelioma Cancer Treated by Alternative Medicine, Conventional Therapies

2007-11-21T21:40:00.000-08:00

Alternative medicine and conventional therapies to treat Mesothelioma cancer

Research in alternative medicine and conventional therapies to treat Mesothelioma cancer continues to be on the forefront to try and find a cure for this disease. Until an alternative is discovered and shows promise, conventional drugs and therapies such as Alimta and other chemotherapy drugs, surgery to remove tumors, and radiation therapy will be used to slow the cancer growth.
In addition to conventional treatments, a number of therapies from alternative medicine may be able to reduce symptoms of mesothelioma. Called complementary and alternative medicine, or CAM, this diverse group of medical and health care options and practices aren't considered to be a part of mainstream medical practice. However, that doesn't mean that they're ineffective.

Mesothelioma Online Resource Center – Info, Legal Opinion

2007-11-21T21:39:00.002-08:00

For Mesothelioma Victims, Knowledge is Power

For people with malignant mesothelioma, a rare and serious cancer caused by asbestos, finding information on their illness can be as challenging as its symptoms. The Law Offices of James Sokolove (www.jimsokolove.com) hopes to change this with the launch of the Mesothelioma Resource Center, a comprehensive online resource designed for mesothelioma victims as well as their caregivers and families.
“So many of these individuals already feel alone in their struggle,” says Attorney Jim Sokolove, founder and principal of the Law Offices of James Sokolove (LOJS). “The fact that they can’t find reliable information on their condition just amplifies the sense of isolation. The Mesothelioma Resource Center was designed not only to provide news on treatments and clinical trials, but also to bring together those affected by this disease.”

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Mesothelioma Drug to be Subsidised

2007-11-21T21:39:00.001-08:00

For true believer Bernie Banton, it was the sweetest victory of all.

The cancer drug at the centre of a campaign stoush between the asbestos crusader and Health Minister Tony Abbott could be approved for government subsidy as early as January. And it was the Liberal minister who phoned the Labor working-class hero on Thursday to tell him the good news personally. Mr Banton, who is battling the terminal asbestos-related cancer mesothelioma, is a long-standing campaigner for the palliative drug Alimta to be listed on the government's Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

Australia to Offer Palliative Drug for Mesothelioma Patients

2007-11-21T21:38:00.002-08:00

Although Australia acknowledges health care as a right of all its citizens, the Ministry of Health in that country must still contend with the greed of big pharmaceutical corporations. The latest controversy in Australia has centered on a drug manufactured by U.S. pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly, marketed under the brand name Alimta. Also known by its generic name pemetrexed, the drug has been used to treat a number of non-small cell cancers, including mesothelioma. It is not a cure for the disease. In fact, Alimta does little to extend the survival rate of mesothelioma patients more than two months. What it does do is relieve the excruciating pain these patients must deal with, allowing them to pass their final days in greater comfort.

Pleural Mesothelioma – Various Claims to File for Justice

2007-11-21T21:38:00.001-08:00

There are a number of people who are suffering from the problem of Mesothelioma. If you have a roof made out of asbestos then you need to get it removed and change it. Doctors and researchers have found out that the use of the asbestos in the form of roof can lead to this problem. Actually, it is the particles of asbestos that keep on falling from the decaying roof that creates the problem. The pleural lining is a thin lining that is formed on the outer walls of the lungs. Due to pleural Mesothelioma the fluid that collects outside the walls of lungs is infected and hence a number of breathing related problems are caused. Use of asbestos causes asbestos pollution that leads to the different breathing problem. The use of asbestos has hence been banned in a number of places. With the help of the Mesothelioma lawyers you can know about the different type of claims that you may file to get the treatment for the problem. There are a number of Mesothelioma lawyers who can help you with this process.

11C-Labeled Methionine and Evaluation of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

2007-11-21T21:37:00.002-08:00

Assessing responses to treatment on the basis of computed tomographic (CT) measurements in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma is challenging because of the pattern of growth of this disease.1 There is evidence that 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography (FDG-PET) can detect the response of a tumor to chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy early in the course of treatment.2 A few pilot studies have explored the role of FDG-PET in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma who were treated with chemotherapy, with promising results.3 Nevertheless, the usefulness of FDG is limited by its uptake in inflammatory cells such as macrophages and activated lymphocytes

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Asbestosis' Fatal Occupational Disease

2007-11-21T21:37:00.001-08:00

Asbestosis is an asbetos-related disease and may be considered as an occupational disease too since the most cases occur among people who worked with asbestos or their families, but there are cases of people who developed it, without have been in contact with this mineral at any period of their lives.
Asbestosis may be defined as a chronic inflammatory medical condition that affects the parenchymal tissue of the lungs. Experts consider asbestosis as an irreversible lung scarring that can be fatal. It occurs after a long-term and a heavy exposure to asbestos.

Asbestos and Mesothelioma – The Fatal Connection

2007-11-21T21:30:00.000-08:00

Asbestos is an extremely dangerous and potentially deadly substance that once was widely used in a range of items, from ceiling and wall tiles to insulation and auto brakes. In the past, most people outside of the industry were completely unaware of the dangers relating to asbestos. However, over recent years the dangers and deadly effects of asbestos have become all too apparent, with more and more cases of the most deadly of these effects - mesothelioma - coming to light every day. Mesothilioma is a malignant cancer begins in the cavities of the lungs, the heart, or the abdomen. This cancer is the direct result of exposure to disturbed asbestos, where the fibers have become airborne. These airborne asbestos fibers are easily ingested or breathed in by those in the vicinity that are not wearing adequate protection. Once the asbestos fibers have lodged themselves within various parts of the body, they cannot be destroyed by the cells of the immune system, which are known as macrophages. Instead, the asbestos fibers lead to scar tissue within the body, and this is what can lead to mesothilioma and other asbestos related injuries.

Malignant Mesothelioma Not Just Courts & Settlements

2007-11-13T21:18:00.001-08:00

Putting a Human Face on Malignant Mesothelioma Newton, MA, November 03, 2007 (PR.com)

For most people familiar with the term “mesothelioma”, hearing the word conjures thoughts of courtroom battles, news headlines and hefty cash settlements. But for those directly affected by the illness—one that causes as many as 3,000 deaths each year in the U.S.—mesothelioma has a decidedly human face.

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Oregon Mesothelioma Patient Settles Case for $5.6 Million

2007-11-13T21:17:00.003-08:00

Mesothelioma case settled for total $5.6 million dollars after law firm of Clapper, Patti, Schweizer & Mason successfully represents 66 year-old Oregon resident. Linda O'Donnell had been diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos contaminated dry talcs used as an ingredient in ceramics created in Mrs. O'Donnell's teaching and manufacturing business. Sausalito, California (PRWEB) November 6, 2007 -- In late 2006, Linda O'Donnell, a 66 year-old Oregon resident, was diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the abdomen usually associated with exposure to asbestos.

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Asbestos, Mesothelioma Attorney Offer Legal Info for Victims

2007-11-13T21:17:00.001-08:00

LegalView updates mesothelioma site to include blog addressing pertinent questions regarding asbestos exposure. For those who have been exposed at anytime to asbestos, which is nearly always the cause of mesothelioma, LegalView connects victims to asbestos lawyers who offer insightful legal information and consultations on the issue. Other various information located on the newly updated mesothelioma blog include symptoms and treatments of mesothelioma and how to reach a mesothelioma law firm in the event that an individual feels they need to consult a mesothelioma attorney.

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Mesothelioma Diagnosis, Treatment Options, Doctor's Advice

2007-11-13T21:15:00.001-08:00

Diagnosis Mesothelioma, Now What ?

The days and weeks after a mesothelioma diagnosis can be a frightening, confusing time. Whether you’re a patient or a family member, you’re bound to have many questions about what to expect, what treatment options are available to you and how your disease will affect your life. It’s very important that you ask these questions and get the answers that you need in order to plan for the future. If your doctor has suggested that you might have mesothelioma, here are some of the questions that you should ask.

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Perioneal Mesothelioma Stomach, Abdominal Symptoms

2007-10-30T10:52:00.004-07:00

Stomach or abdominal symptoms are often experienced by patients with peritoneal mesothelioma. This type of mesothelioma is a cancer of the peritoneal cells that line the abdomen. Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma are insidious and often tend to be confused for symptoms of more common, and often more benign, abdominal conditions. Peritoneal mesothelioma therefore may go undiagnosed until it is fairly advanced and resistant to treatment.

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