Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Mesothelioma Lung Cancer And Urgent Knowledge

Mesothelioma lung cancer is a very serious medical condition. If it's caught in its early stages, there are a lot of treatment options available. Treatments are still available if this disease is caught in the late stages, but there are not a lot of options to choose from.
There are a few symptoms of mesothelioma that you can be on the look out for. Remember that there are three different forms of this disease, so each type will have different symptoms for you to be aware of. Everything depends on the location.
As far as pleural mesothelioma is concerned, a few symptoms are difficulty or sudden change in breathing patterns and chest pain. Some people experience both. Keep in mind that this form of the disease is found within the lungs.
Those are some of the more serious symptoms. A few less harmful symptoms are weight loss, sweating at night, and fevers. Be aware that not every patient has all of these symptoms at the time of diagnosis. Some people don't have any of them.
As far as peritoneal mesothelioma goes, weight loss and sweating may occur. A person might also experience discomfort or pain in their abdominal cavity. This is due to fluid build up. More symptoms include anemia, fever, and blood clotting.
Surgery is one form of treatment. This can become an option for one of two reasons. The first reason is to make an attempt to cure it and the second reason is to improve the person's quality of life as well as keep them comfortable. The option of surgery also holds a promising future. Since there are many tests that are being developed, mesothelioma will be able to be spotted during the early stages. During the procedure, a substance called talc is injected into the lungs. This is a process known as pleurodesis. Talc prevents fluid from entering the lungs.
As of right now, there are only three systems that are used to determined the stages of this disease. These systems are the TNM, Brigham, and Butchart system. All of these systems have the same goal in mind, but have different ways of getting the information.
The diagnosis of this condition is very difficult. It really doesn't matter what stage the disease is in. It's always hard to tell what's what and get a clear diagnosis. This is one reason why it is diagnosed in the very late stages. If you have any suspicions, you may want to go ahead and get checked out by your doctor. Although it's very hard to diagnose, there may be a few treatments for you and more tests that can be performed.
Even though this is a very scary time in your life, there are ways of dealing with it and treating it. The longer you wait, it will get worse. Take a family member or friend along to offer you comfort and support.
Discover what you want to know about mesothelioma symptoms by searching online. There you will learn all about mesothelioma lung cancer and the treatment choices. Go online today.


Ten Details of Eye Care in Spring

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How To Find Lung Cancer Information

One of the largest challenges well dealing with a lung carcinoma diagnoses is to learn more about your condition. Lung cancer information is widely available, both online and offline. There are some critical considerations you must keep in mind as you research cancer of the lungs.
1) Which cancer do I have?
Not all lung carcinomas are created equal. Understanding your diagnoses is key to finding the right information about your condition. Your treatment and prognosis may be different depending if the physician diagnoses you with Small-Cell or Non-Small Cell lung carcinoma. Others types of lung-related cancers, such as mesothelioma lung  cancer, are not as common.
2) What stage cancer do I have?
Your particular stage of cancer is very important to know. Information on lung cancers such as treatment options and even cutting edge clinical trials are all dependent on the type and stage of cancer.
3) Besides conventional medicine, what supporting therapies are available?
From dietary changes to meditation to improve the brain-body connection, there are many lifestyle changes available to people to support and augment the effect of conventional cancer treatments. It is important to take information you gather on these lifestyle enhancements and discuss them with your doctor, as there are many people ready to take advantage of cancer patients.
4) What types of clinical trials are on-going?
Your doctor may or may not inform you of research and trials that may offer a promising new treatment for your condition. Several websites, ranging from the National Institutes of Health to individual facility websites such as the Mayo Clinic website discuss ongoing and upcoming clinical trials. Particularly if you have no health insurance or if your cancer is one that historically does not have a good response rate to existing treatments, a clinical trial may offer the chance you need to beat your cancer.
The most important aspect of finding out lung  cancer  information is to make sure you validate what you see. The media is notorious for providing only half the story, both traditional media and the internet. Validate what you find with your physician or locate multiple, unrelated  sources before you accept that information as truth.
I for one know there's a ton of lung cancer information scattered all around the web, and I know it can be somewhat depressing to go through much of it. I have compiled all that researched so it might benefit others. I put many months of research into a useful guide. There's no charge of course and I think you'll appreciate the simplicity of it. Its at MyLungCancerGuide.com. While you are there, you'll find this article about Finding Lung Cancer Information and many other very straight forward, helpful articles.


Smoking and Lung Cancer - Historical Facts About Proving the Cause of Bronchogenic Carcinoma

Smoking and lung cancer are linked. The facts about what causes cancer in the lungs are no longer mysterious as they are well established in the scientific literature. It is now known that cigarette smoking is what causes lung cancer in 85-90% of all cases.
The carcinogenic effects of smoking cigarettes act on the tissue in the lungs over time and malignancies develop first in the bronchial tubes and then spread to the rest of the lungs. The term bronchogenic carcinoma simply refers to the fact that the cancer originates in the bronchial tissue.
History of Lung Cancer
The historical facts are pretty clear. Up until tobacco use became common in society cancer in the lungs was a pretty rare disease. The alarming epidemic of bronchogenic carcinoma followed on the heels of the tobacco industry manufacturing, selling, and distributing their cigarette product in the first half of the 1900's.
Up until this time some clinicians had noticed an increase in the number of cases, but mostly these were likely to be attributed to air pollution or industrial exposures to chemicals.
It was actually a German physician who made the original connection between smoking and lung cancer. He published a paper in 1929 that showed the connection and postulated that lung cancer is caused by smoking because almost all the patients who had the disease that he studied were smokers.
Of course in the first half of the 1900's nobody wanted to believe that the epidemic in cancer of the lung had anything to do with the harmful effects of smoking. In fact they did not even want to believe that smoking was harmful and wanted to continue to believe just what the tobacco manufacturers told them and that is that the effects of tobacco were relaxing and beneficial to the mind. People believed this because there were no facts to prove otherwise.
The real facts about smoking and lung cancer had yet to be established, although many clinicians were starting to become highly suspicious. By mid-century there was an alarming epidemic of bronchogenic carcinoma. The social acceptance of smoking among men and women and the increase in the numbers of smokers in society could not be a coincidence.
The Real Facts About Smoking and Lung Cancer are Established
So the scientific study to find the real facts about smoking and lung cancer and see if that German physician was onto something began in earnest.
Perhaps it was the improvements in the rigors of scientific study, or maybe even the improvements in technology but none the less there was a lot of energy being directed to finding out if bronchogenic carcinoma was caused by smoking and over time the results became so consistent that scientists began to come to the same conclusion over and over again, and that is that lung cancer is caused by smoking cigarettes.
Of course nobody wanted this to be true, least of all the tobacco companies who were making billions of dollars selling their products worldwide. Apparently they thought it might be bad for business if their product was associated with a disease like bronchogenic carcinoma which has always had a very grim prognosis.
The studies continued over the years and findings of those studies formed the basis for the first US Surgeon General Report on Smoking and Health in 1964. The known facts about smoking and lung cancer at this time led to the conclusion that cigarette smoking was an important factor in the cause of cancer of the lung.
Further studies have now proven this fact over and over again, and forty years after the first report, the 2004 US Surgeon General's report states: "The evidence is sufficient to infer a causal relationship between smoking and lung cancer."
So those are some of the historical facts about lung cancer and smoking cigarettes. But of all the facts about lung cancer the most important one to pay attention to is this one:
There is no other type of cancer that is so easily preventable.
Explore some of the facts about lung cancer and the tobacco company cover up at http://www.smoking-facts-and-fiction.com where Beverly Hansen OMalley provides even more information about the facts on smoking diseases, health effects of smoking and smoking addiction fiction which is of course the real reason why people smoke.


Stage 1 Lung Cancer Survival Rate - Know Your Odds

The earliest stage of cancer of the lung is when the malignant cells are confined to one area of the lung. When these cells started to spread outward and affect other healthy regions of the body, the level gets a little higher. At the initial form, the tumor starts in the tissue linings of the lungs. As it progresses, the tumor will affect other tissues of the lungs before it could start destroying other organs of the body. This malignant tumor is referred to as the primary tumor. Stage 1 lung cancer survival rate is just above 50 percent.
Cancer of the lung is one of the most dangerous types of cancers in the entire world. According to some research, this type of cancer has claimed as many as 1.3 million people annually since 2004. Most patients with this type of cancer are not aware that cigarette smoking is the primary reason for their dilemma. Cigarette or tobacco smoking contributes to a huge amount of lung cancer diagnostics. Over exposure to pollution or carcinogenic materials also increases one's risk of having this dreaded disease. In some research, alcoholism also triggers an abnormal lung growth. We have to be reminded of the danger of this dreaded illness, and being informed as to how it can be prevented counts a lot.
There are two types of lung tumors. One is small cell and the other one is non-small cell carcinoma. At the earliest stage, the malignant cells haven't invaded any lymph nodes yet. Stage 1 lung cancer survival rate in a five - year period is at 55 percent.
There are different symptoms one may see if affected by this dreaded disease. Following is a list of probable symptoms of lung cancer. Take note that these symptoms may also be the effect of other lung diseases.
• Persistent coughing or more often referred to as smoker's cough
• losing breath due to constriction of the airway
• Over fatigue even in light exercises
• Pain in the chest
• Sudden discomfort in the chest area
• Shallow breathing accompanied by wheezing
• Traces of blood in phlegm
• Lung infections like bronchitis or pneumonia that occur frequently
• Change in the tone of voice is another symptom
• It could also be weight loss
Stage 1 lung cancer survival rate can be improved. One must seek the help of medical professionals when diagnosed with this life altering disease. Doctors who are experienced with this type of illness are the key to extending one's life.
For more stage 1 lung cancer survival rate information, visit Stage 1 Lung Cancer Survival Rate.


Lung Cancer and the Symptoms

With 164,000 new cases in the United States and 20,600 new cases diagnosed in Canada every year, lung cancer is the third most common type of cancer in the North America. Although ranked below the prostate and breast cancer on the prevalence, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States and Canada. In the United States, a five-year survival rate for lung cancer is relatively low at 14 percent, and the number rose only to 50 percent if the cancer is detected early.
The biggest risk factor for lung cancer is cigarette smoking, behavior that gives 85 to 90 percent of all cases. Long-term exposure to secondhand smoke also causes lung cancer. The main risk factors include exposure to workplace chemicals carcinogenic, especially asbestos and organic chemicals such as vinyl chloride. Exposure to radon gas and other air pollutants also increases the risk of lung cancer, especially among smokers.
Oxygen reaches the blood through a series of tubes and passages in the lungs. It is divided into so-called respiratory tract, which is divided into branches called bronchioles smaller. At the end of the bronchioles are tiny air sacs known as alveoli. Most lung cancer begins in the lining of the respiratory tract, but cancer can also start in the trachea, bronchioles, or alveoli. Approximately 20 percent of lung cancer patients had small cell carcinoma, a type of lung cancer that usually starts at around the respiratory tract. Squalors cell carcinoma also often comes near the bronchi. It contributes about 30 percent of all lung cancers.
Lung cancer frequently goes to be considered in the early stages. Patients can develop persistent cough or a finding that the worsening of chronic coughing. Other symptoms include chest pain, shortness of breath, hoarseness, coughing up blood from the respiratory tract fluids, and frequent bouts of bronchitis or pneumonia. Sometimes early symptoms of lung cancer are bone pain, headache, dizziness, or signs of other diseases that have metastasized.
People with early warning signs should consult their family doctor, who will evaluate the symptoms and can refer patients to doctors who specialize in cancer. A doctor will first take the patient's medical history to learn about current symptoms, past history of disease, and family members diagnosed with cancer. The procedures used in the physical examination depend on patient's clinical symptoms and may include a digital rectal examination, where doctors use a gloved finger to gently check the smoothness of rectal lining. Doctors can perform breast examinations on female patients, where the soft breast was investigated to feel a lump or mass that is not unusual.
During the exam your doctor may use a thin tube called an endoscope to look radiant tumor in the internal body cavity. Endoscopic procedures are used depending on the organ or body cavity inspection. In gastric endoscopy, the doctor feeds a specialized endoscope into the throat to examine the layers of the esophagus, stomach and first part of the small intestine. Colonoscopy uses a longer flexible instrument to view the entire length of the colon.
A number of laboratory tests may help narrow the diagnosis. In a Pap smear, cervical epithelial cells removed from plastic with a small brush. These cells are examined under a microscope for cell changes that are signs that the cancer can develop as well as signs of malignancy. If clinical signs suggest colorectal cancer patients, doctors may find blood in the stools with fecal occult blood tests. A small sample of stool is smeared on the patient card coated with a chemical called guaiacum, which reacts with blood. Cards were analyzed in the laboratory for occult (hidden) blood. Other tests for signs of tumors, the chemicals present in higher levels of certain cancers when present. For example, a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test measures the level of prostate-specific antigen in the blood.
These include computed tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan. CT and MRI scans use a computer to form three-dimensional images of tumor and surrounding tissue. X-ray called a mammogram breast images help physicians detect and evaluate breast cancer. Ultrasound scan of high-frequency sound waves bounce of the tumor and surrounding tissue to create an image of the tumor. Multimodality display technique combining images from multiple imaging devices into a single image, giving the final three-dimensional images with much greater detail. Computer aided diagnosis using sophisticated computer technology programming called artificial intelligence to scan X-ray mammograms and to help search for signs of cancer and offers an automatic second opinion. 
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Chemo For Lung Cancer

Chemo for lung cancer is effective, but still has risks and drawbacks.
Chemotherapy is the most commonly used tool to fight off cancerous cells.  As a tumor is nothing more than a pocket of cells dividing at a higher rate than those about them, medication that will kill off rapidly dividing cell formations will destroy cancer in any part of the body.  This is similar to basic antibiotics that attack viruses or bacteria which cannot be fought off by the body's immune system.  As such, chemo for lung cancer is very similar to chemo for heart, liver, or skin cancers, requiring a constant dose of highly concentrated medicine over a period of time until the cancer is in remission.
Chemotherapy is often used in tandem with radiation treatment; as such, many people simply think that radiation is part of chemotherapy or that they are functionally the same thing.  While radiation treatment is considered more effective in tandem than stand alone chemotherapy on lung cancer, it does not always need to be done to cancer patients given the area or rate of their cancer.  Radiation treatment -- along with surgery -- is done for specific areas of cancer that can or must be removed, while chemo can treat cancer growing in any area of the body.
As the treatment kills of cancer cells, it will also attack cells in the body that divide quickly as a result of natural function.  These include the bone marrow cells and cells which produce hair, so that the two major side effects of chemotherapy are hair loss and decrease in immune system function (as the white blood cells which act as the body's immunity to disease are created in bone marrow).  In some cases, chemo cannot be administered, as the decrease to the body's immune system would cause such problems that a mere fever or cold could be fatal.
Chemotherapy for lung cancers has a higher success rate than some other cancers.  Cancerous lung cells are usually less aggressive than other types of tumors, making it commonplace to prescribe a chemotherapy routine to patients.  This routine can last anywhere between a few weeks and an entire year, depending on the severity of the cancer.
I for one know there's a ton of lung cancer information scattered all around the web, and I know it can be somewhat depressing to go through much of it. I have compiled all that researched so it might benefit others. I put many months of research into a useful guide. There's no charge of course and I think you'll appreciate the simplicity of it. Its at MyLungCancerGuide.com. While you are there, you'll find this article about Chemo For Lung Cancer and many other very straight forward, helpful articles.