http://mesotheliomacancer.blogsome.com Blog about Mesothelioma and other cancer forms Wed, 28 Dec 2005 17:58:54 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Treatment of MM using conventional therapies has not proved successful and patients have a median survival time of 6 - 12 months after presentation. The clinical behaviour of the malignancy is affected by several factors including the continuous mesothelial surface of the pleural cavity which favours local metastasis via exfoliated ... http://mesotheliomacancer.blogsome.com/2005/12/28/treatment/ Incidence Although reported incidence rates have increased in the past 20 years, mesothelioma is still a relatively rare cancer. The incidence is approximately one per 1,000,000. For comparison, populations with high levels of smoking can have a lung cancer incidence of over 1,000 per 1,000,000. Incidence of malignant mesothelioma currently ranges ... http://mesotheliomacancer.blogsome.com/2005/11/18/epidemiology/ The mesothelium consists of a single layer of flattened to cuboidal cells forming the epithelial lining of the serous cavities of the body including the peritoneal, pericardial and pleural cavities. Deposition of asbestos fibres in the parenchyma of the lung may result in the penetration of the visceral pleura from ... http://mesotheliomacancer.blogsome.com/2005/11/17/pathophysiology/ Once the diagnosis is confirmed, the doctor may need to assess the stage to help plan treatment. Mesothelioma 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 ... http://mesotheliomacancer.blogsome.com/2005/11/14/staging/ There is no universally agreed protocol for screening people who have been exposed to asbestos. However some research indicates that the serum osteopontin level might be useful in screening asbestos-exposed people for mesothelioma. The level of soluble mesothelin-related protein is elevated in the serum of about 75% of patients at ... http://mesotheliomacancer.blogsome.com/2005/11/14/screening/ Diagnosing mesothelioma 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. A history of occupational exposure to asbestos may increase clinical suspicion for mesothelioma. A physical examination is performed, followed by chest X-ray ... http://mesotheliomacancer.blogsome.com/2005/11/13/4/ Symptoms of mesothelioma may not appear until 30 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos. Shortness of breath and pain in the chest due to an accumulation of fluid in the pleural space often symptoms of pleural mesothelioma. Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include weight loss and cachexia, abdominal swelling and pain ... http://mesotheliomacancer.blogsome.com/2005/11/12/signs-and-simptons/ Mesothelioma is an uncommon form of cancer, usually associated with previous exposure to asbestos. In this disease, malignant (cancerous) cells develop in the mesothelium, a protective lining that covers most of the body’s internal organs. Its most common site is the pleura (outer lining of the lungs and chest cavity), ... http://mesotheliomacancer.blogsome.com/2005/11/12/what-is-mesothelioma/