LungBlog

Did you know that February 4, 2010 has been designated World Cancer Day? Begun in 2005 by the International Union Against Cancer (UICC), World Cancer Day is a global initiative meant to raise awareness of cancer causes, prevention, research and treatment. Particularly important is educating the public about less-common cancers, such as mesothelioma.

Sometimes referred to as “asbestos cancer,” mesothelioma is often confused with lung cancer, but is actually a different disease. Mesothelioma targets the mesothelium, which is a thin membrane covering and protecting not only the lungs, but the heart and stomach as well. It also lines the thoracic and abdominal cavities, creating a dual layer. Like lung cancer, it can severely inhibit breathing, since one of the effects of mesothelioma is to fill this pleural space with fluid, which in turn makes it difficult for the lungs to fully expand.

In the United Kingdom, asbestos accounts for 2-3% of deaths from lung cancer in men. This is an effect of complementarity between smoking and asbestos in causing lung cancer. Asbestos can cause cancer of the pleura (such as mesothelioma, lung cancer is the other).

Cancer Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that attacks the lungs and chest. Although lung cancer asbestos is known, is the deadly form of cancer in which cells of mesothelial cancer, a protective lining of the lungs, heart and abdominal organs. This is a type of lung cancer, which require many years to develop and cause symptoms. About 3,000 cases per year (mostly men aged over 40) are reported. It is estimated that the number will growabout 300,000 cases before 2030.

Mesothelioma is nothing but a cancer of mesothelium. It affects the abdominal cavity, chest cavity and the region surrounding the heart. It is basically the covering structure of most of the internal organs of the body. Mesothelioma is typically difficult to diagnose and treat due to its uncommon nature.

Cancer is basically excess growth of cell of particular organ or tissue. Here the triggering factor is exposure to asbestos, a material formerly present in many work environments. That’s why it is also called asbestos lung cancer.

Often, because the symptoms of lung cancer does not manifest itself in the early stages of the disease, the treatment is a major problem, especially when detection happens when cancer metastases or secondary cancer cells already developed in other organs d body. Much research has been devoted to discover the first symptoms of lung cancer.

Cancer is the malignant growth of cells in the human body. It comes in many forms and each seems to have its own method of causing havoc. Given the variety of cancers, it is hardly surprising that some are inadvertently mixed up when discussed. This is often the case with Mesothelioma and lung cancer.

Lung cancer and mesothelioma are as different from one another as chalk and cheese. Lung cancer is caused by a multitude of reasons and smoking is one of them. But mesothelioma lung cancer is caused exclusively by exposure to asbestos particles. The disease covers the protective layer of the pleural cavity, the mesothelium. Unfortunately, the cancer has a long gestation period and symptoms come up only after the infection spreads all over. This results in many deaths that could have been avoided.

According to a new research, workers in the textile industry exposed to chrysotile asbestos have an increased risk of developing lung cancer, asbestosis cancer of the pleura and mesothelioma, despite the prior claims that the form of asbestos is safe because it is less likely to give off fibers.

A McLean County, Illinois jury returned a $2 million verdict, last Thursday, to the family of a deceased woman, who died from asbestos exposure related cancer. As reported by the Pantagraph, Leslie Corry, of Bloomington, Illinois, died from mesothelioma lung cancer after she laundered the work clothe, of her first husband, a former worker at Union Asbestos & Rubber Company.