Shock
"I can't believe it. It can't be true."
Feeling shocked is often the first reaction when mesothelioma is diagnosed. You may
Feel numb and not believe what is happening
Be unable to express any emotion
Find you can only take in small amounts of information
Ask the same questions or need to be told the same thing over and over again
Needing to have information repeated is a common reaction to shock.
Some people may find their feelings of disbelief make talking about their illness with family and friends difficult. Others feel the urge to talk about it as a way of helping them to accept the news themselves.
Fear
"Am I going to die?" "Will I be in pain?"
The first thing people ask about having mesothelioma cancer is: "Am I going to die?"
Remember - Mesothelioma patients can live for many years.
Mesothelioma clinical trials provides new hope. Today, many things can be done to help with any pain or discomfort or to slow the cancer down. (Look in Treating Pain Section for more information).
Many people are worried about their treatment and whether it will be very unpleasant. Remember that research into making treatments easier to cope with, and reducing and controlling side effects has been going on for years and will continue. Stories you hear about people being treated years ago will be out of date. It is best to talk to your doctor about your treatment before relying on rumor or other incorrect information.
Denial
"There's nothing really wrong with me. I don't have mesothelioma."
Some people choose to cope with their situation by
Not wanting to know anything about their mesothelioma cancer
Talking about it as little as possible
If that's how you feel, tell the people around you quite firmly that, for the time being, you don't want to talk about your illness.
But sometimes you may find it is the other way around. Your family and friends may
Deny your illness
Appear to ignore the fact that you have mesothelioma
Play down your anxieties and symptoms
Deliberately change the subject
These sorts of reactions may arise because people are frightened or embarrassed to talk about cancer, or because mesothelioma is such a rare form of cancer, they do not understand what it entails. Others may feel that if they don't talk about it, they can try to pretend it isn't happening. You may, however, want them to support you by sharing how you feel. If the reactions of others upset or hurt you,
Try telling them how you feel
Reassure them that you know what is happening
Explain that talking to them about your illness will help
Anger
Anger about your illness may be directed at
Those who are closest to you
The doctors and nurses who are caring for you
The companies that made the asbestos products and knew they were dangerous
God, if you are religious
You don't have to feel guilty about your angry thoughts or moods. But relatives and friends don't always realize that you are not angry with them but are angry with your illness. It may help to
Tell them this at a time when you are not feeling quite so angry
Ask them to read these pages, if talking is difficult
If you are finding it difficult to talk to your family, you may want to discuss this with a counselor.
Blame and Guilt
Sometimes in trying to find reasons why cancer has happened you may blame yourself or other people for your illness.
While asbestos exposure is the trigger, many factors must coincide to cause mesothelioma cancer. Chance plays a big part. Some people are more prone to developing a mesothelioma cancer because of their genes. Also, workers and other exposed to asbestos were never informed about the dangers; so there is no way that the average person could have avoided these dangers.
In addition, many experts believe a single tiny strand of asbestos is sufficient to trigger mesothelioma, which with the widespread use of asbestos, is impossible to avoid. Finally, you had to work to earn a living and provide for your family - that was not a choice. Nevertheless, it may be difficult to avoid blaming yourself, but talking about these feelings helps.
Why Me?
Having mesothelioma cancer can make you feel cross with people who are well. Why should this have happened to you and not to someone else? You may feel
Angry
Sad
Bad tempered
These feelings may crop up from time to time throughout your illness and treatment. Relatives may also be angry that your illness interferes with their lives.
It helps to express your feelings openly. Bottling it up may upset everyone.
Leave Me Alone
There may be times during your illness when you want to be left alone to sort out your own feelings. This can be hard for family and friends who may not understand how you feel, and want to share this difficult time with you. You can make it easier for them by telling them that
You don't feel like talking about your illness now, but you will talk to them when you do
You still care about them even if you do not want to talk about your illness
Depression
Depression is often triggered by a diagnosis of mesothelioma. You might not be able to think clearly or do things, or you might not want to get up in the morning. You may want to talk to your doctor or nurse who can
Explain to you that these feelings are common with mesothelioma patients
Prescribe a course of drugs that may help you
Refer you to a doctor or counselor who specializes in the problems of cancer patients
It is quite common for people with cancer to feel depressed, so don't feel you are different if you need to ask for help.
Positive Thinking
One of the things that people with mesothelioma are often encouraged to do is to "be positive". But that is not that easy. Living with mesothelioma and its treatment can be frightening. There will be times when you may feel low and fear for you future.
Most people with mesothelioma cancer are frightened about how they might die and what will happen to their families if they do die. There are obviously very trying emotions, and it is very difficult to "just take it your stride". Friends and family, however, may advise you to think positively. It may help to remember that being positive
Doesn't mean being cheerful and optimistic
Means recognizing some of the fearful possibilities that arise from having mesothelioma cancer
Nobody should expect you to feel good when confronting fear.
Being positive and thinking positively can even include
Feeling upset
Feeling frightened
Such feelings can be a sign of strength - and may reflect your courage in facing up to an uncertain future.
Being positive may include expressing your full range of emotions. It is, perhaps, more about being able to balance the bad with the good, and not allowing negative emotions overwhelm you.
Showing posts with label Mesothelioma Articles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mesothelioma Articles. Show all posts
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Mesothelioma Chrysotile
Chrysotile asbestos is the main cause of malignant pleural mesothelioma. The three most common forms of asbestos are chrysotile, amosite, and crocidolite. Chrysotile or white asbestos accounts for approximately 95% of the asbestos used in US production of asbestos products and is the only member of the serpentine group of minerals.
The fine fibers of asbestos made it a great source for insulation and as a fire retardant but they their entry into the human body can trigger the onset of mesothelioma. Sometimes the asbestos fibers enter the body through the air and are breathed into the lung area of the body. Once they are taken in through the respiratory passages these fibers lodge themselves in the mesothelial cells around the lungs. This can cause direct damage to the lungs by traveling to the ends of small passages and reach the pleura area around the lungs.
Once lodged in the plural area these fibers can injure lung cells and cause lung cancer or asbestosis which is a term used to describe replacing healthy lung tissue with damaged or scar tissue. In addition, asbestos fibers can also be directly swallowed by people working in close of confined spaces with exposed asbestos. These fibers can go directly to the stomach and abdominal cavity and may lead to the development of stomach cancer or peritoneal mesothelioma.
The most common way to get is through directly working with asbestos as part of a job or career. Many people get mesothelioma as a result of their jobs working in mining, construction, shipbuilding and any other job that required a regular exposure to asbestos fibers. It is possible as well to get mesothelioma from being exposed to asbestos fibers in your home of office. Many houses still contain asbestos lined insulation that can be a grave danger if it becomes opened or exposed to humans. As long as the asbestos remains in a sealed unit or wrapped around a pipe with its exterior sealant intact, there is little danger. But if any of these materials break out of their sealed units they could easily contaminate any one who comes into contact with them.
Finally it is also possible to develop mesothelioma through direct physical contact with the clothes of someone else that has come directly into contact with asbestos. There are numerous cases of wives and spouses of miners and construction workers who have developed mesothelioma from breathing in the fibers that their husbands or wives brought home with them from the plant, mine or construction site. If that person worked in the insulation industry at a time when asbestos use was at its peak they have a much higher chance of developing this deadly disease than others who may have had minimal exposure to asbestos fibers as a result of their daily working activities.
Today mesothelioma is one of the most commonly recognized industrial or workplace diseases and special programs have been developed to recognize mesothelioma symptoms and to provide support to those who suffer from this disease.
The fine fibers of asbestos made it a great source for insulation and as a fire retardant but they their entry into the human body can trigger the onset of mesothelioma. Sometimes the asbestos fibers enter the body through the air and are breathed into the lung area of the body. Once they are taken in through the respiratory passages these fibers lodge themselves in the mesothelial cells around the lungs. This can cause direct damage to the lungs by traveling to the ends of small passages and reach the pleura area around the lungs.
Once lodged in the plural area these fibers can injure lung cells and cause lung cancer or asbestosis which is a term used to describe replacing healthy lung tissue with damaged or scar tissue. In addition, asbestos fibers can also be directly swallowed by people working in close of confined spaces with exposed asbestos. These fibers can go directly to the stomach and abdominal cavity and may lead to the development of stomach cancer or peritoneal mesothelioma.
The most common way to get is through directly working with asbestos as part of a job or career. Many people get mesothelioma as a result of their jobs working in mining, construction, shipbuilding and any other job that required a regular exposure to asbestos fibers. It is possible as well to get mesothelioma from being exposed to asbestos fibers in your home of office. Many houses still contain asbestos lined insulation that can be a grave danger if it becomes opened or exposed to humans. As long as the asbestos remains in a sealed unit or wrapped around a pipe with its exterior sealant intact, there is little danger. But if any of these materials break out of their sealed units they could easily contaminate any one who comes into contact with them.
Finally it is also possible to develop mesothelioma through direct physical contact with the clothes of someone else that has come directly into contact with asbestos. There are numerous cases of wives and spouses of miners and construction workers who have developed mesothelioma from breathing in the fibers that their husbands or wives brought home with them from the plant, mine or construction site. If that person worked in the insulation industry at a time when asbestos use was at its peak they have a much higher chance of developing this deadly disease than others who may have had minimal exposure to asbestos fibers as a result of their daily working activities.
Today mesothelioma is one of the most commonly recognized industrial or workplace diseases and special programs have been developed to recognize mesothelioma symptoms and to provide support to those who suffer from this disease.
Mesothelioma - Database
Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer in which malignant (cancerous) cells are found in the mesothelium, a protective sac that covers most of the body's internal organs.
Microscopic view of the mesothelium
What is the mesothelium? The mesothelium is a membrane that covers and protects most of the internal organs of the body. It is composed of two layers of cells: One layer immediately surrounds the organ; the other forms a sac around it. The mesothelium produces a lubricating fluid that is released between these layers, allowing moving organs (such as the beating heart and the expanding and contracting lungs) to glide easily against adjacent structures.
The mesothelium has different names, depending on its location in the body. The peritoneum is the mesothelial tissue that covers most of the organs in the abdominal cavity. The pleura is the membrane that surrounds the lungs and lines the wall of the chest cavity. The pericardium covers and protects the heart.
What is mesothelioma? Mesothelioma (cancer of the mesothelium) is a disease in which cells of the mesothelium become abnormal and divide without control or order. They can invade and damage nearby tissues and organs. Cancer cells can also metastasize (spread) from their original site to other parts of the body. Most cases of mesothelioma begin in the pleura or peritoneum.
How common is mesothelioma? Over 2,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed in the United States each year. Mesothelioma occurs more often in men than in women and risk increases with age, but this disease can appear in either men or women at any age. See statistics for more details.
What are the risk factors for mesothelioma? Working with asbestos is the major risk factor for mesothelioma. A history of asbestos exposure at work is reported in the majority of cases. However, mesothelioma has been reported in some individuals without any known exposure to asbestos. Click here to learn more about asbestos
Who is at increased risk for developing mesothelioma? Since the early 1940s, millions of American workers have been exposed to asbestos dust. An increased risk of developing mesothelioma was originally found among shipyard workers, people who work in asbestos mines and mills, producers of asbestos products, workers in the heating and construction industries, and other trades people. Today, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sets limits for acceptable levels of asbestos exposure in the workplace. People who work with asbestos wear personal protective equipment to lower their risk of exposure.
There is evidence that family members and others living with asbestos workers have an increased risk of developing mesothelioma, and possibly other asbestos-related diseases. This risk may be the result of exposure to asbestos dust brought home on the clothing and hair of asbestos workers.
What are the symptoms of mesothelioma? 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 pleura are often symptoms of pleural mesothelioma. Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include weight loss and abdominal pain and swelling due to a buildup of fluid in the abdomen. Other symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma may include bowel obstruction, blood clotting abnormalities, anemia, and fever. If the cancer has spread beyond the mesothelium to other parts of the body, symptoms may include pain, trouble swallowing, or swelling of the neck or face. Doctor looking at x-rays
How is mesothelioma diagnosed? 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, including any history of asbestos exposure. A complete physical examination may be performed, including x-rays of the chest or abdomen and lung function tests. A CT (or CAT) scan or an MRI may also be useful.
A biopsy confirms a diagnosis of mesothelioma. In a biopsy, a surgeon or a medical oncologist removes a sample of tissue for examination under a microscope by a pathologist. (See Pathology Diagnosis to learn why some patients request a second opinion.)
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 parts of the body, such as the lymph nodes, lungs, chest wall, or abdominal organs.
What is the conventional approach to treating mesothelioma? Treatment for mesothelioma depends on the location of the cancer, the stage of the disease, and the patient's age and general health. Standard treatment options include surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Sometimes, these treatments are combined. Standard treatment for all but localized mesothelioma is generally not curative. 1 (See survival rates for median survival rates with different treatments.)
Surgery - Extrapleural pneumonectomy in selected patients with early stage disease may improve recurrence-free survival, but its impact on overall survival is unknown. Pleurectomy and decortication can provide palliative relief from symptomatic effusions, discomfort caused by tumor burden, and pain caused by invasive tumor. Operative mortality from pleurectomy/decortication is <2%, while mortality from extrapleural pneumonectomy has ranged from 6% to 30%. 2
Radiation/Chemotherapy - The use of radiation therapy in pleural mesothelioma has been shown to alleviate pain in the majority of patients treated; however, the duration of symptom control is short-lived. Single-agent and combination chemotherapy have been evaluated in single and combined modality studies. The most studied agent is doxorubicin, which has produced partial responses in approximately 15% to 20% of patients studied. Some combination chemotherapy regimens have been reported to have higher response rates in small phase II trials; however, the toxic effects reported are also higher, and there is no evidence that combination regimens result in longer survival or longer control of symptoms. 3
Alimta - The only FDA approved chemotherapy for malignant pleural mesothelioma (in combination with cisplatin) is pemetrexed (Alimta). In the key clinical trial that led to its approval, Alimta was combined with another chemotherapy drug (cisplatin) and compared with cisplatin alone. The patients who received the two drugs (Alimta and cisplatin) had their cancers progress (grow/spread) in 5.7 months (median). The patients who only received cisplatin had their tumors progress in 3.9 months (median). The median survival for the patients who received both drugs was 12.1 months versus 9.3 months for cisplatin only. 4
For some physicians, these therapeutic gains are not impressive. For example, some have written, "For the treatment of mesothelioma, there is little evidence that current therapies (chemotherapy, radiation, surgery) provide significant benefit for survival or quality of life.[R]adical treatments, occupying the 3 months after diagnosis, can take up the best 3 months that the patient might have had.Malignant mesothelioma has largely defeated treatment
Microscopic view of the mesothelium
What is the mesothelium? The mesothelium is a membrane that covers and protects most of the internal organs of the body. It is composed of two layers of cells: One layer immediately surrounds the organ; the other forms a sac around it. The mesothelium produces a lubricating fluid that is released between these layers, allowing moving organs (such as the beating heart and the expanding and contracting lungs) to glide easily against adjacent structures.
The mesothelium has different names, depending on its location in the body. The peritoneum is the mesothelial tissue that covers most of the organs in the abdominal cavity. The pleura is the membrane that surrounds the lungs and lines the wall of the chest cavity. The pericardium covers and protects the heart.
What is mesothelioma? Mesothelioma (cancer of the mesothelium) is a disease in which cells of the mesothelium become abnormal and divide without control or order. They can invade and damage nearby tissues and organs. Cancer cells can also metastasize (spread) from their original site to other parts of the body. Most cases of mesothelioma begin in the pleura or peritoneum.
How common is mesothelioma? Over 2,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed in the United States each year. Mesothelioma occurs more often in men than in women and risk increases with age, but this disease can appear in either men or women at any age. See statistics for more details.
What are the risk factors for mesothelioma? Working with asbestos is the major risk factor for mesothelioma. A history of asbestos exposure at work is reported in the majority of cases. However, mesothelioma has been reported in some individuals without any known exposure to asbestos. Click here to learn more about asbestos
Who is at increased risk for developing mesothelioma? Since the early 1940s, millions of American workers have been exposed to asbestos dust. An increased risk of developing mesothelioma was originally found among shipyard workers, people who work in asbestos mines and mills, producers of asbestos products, workers in the heating and construction industries, and other trades people. Today, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sets limits for acceptable levels of asbestos exposure in the workplace. People who work with asbestos wear personal protective equipment to lower their risk of exposure.
There is evidence that family members and others living with asbestos workers have an increased risk of developing mesothelioma, and possibly other asbestos-related diseases. This risk may be the result of exposure to asbestos dust brought home on the clothing and hair of asbestos workers.
What are the symptoms of mesothelioma? 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 pleura are often symptoms of pleural mesothelioma. Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include weight loss and abdominal pain and swelling due to a buildup of fluid in the abdomen. Other symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma may include bowel obstruction, blood clotting abnormalities, anemia, and fever. If the cancer has spread beyond the mesothelium to other parts of the body, symptoms may include pain, trouble swallowing, or swelling of the neck or face. Doctor looking at x-rays
How is mesothelioma diagnosed? 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, including any history of asbestos exposure. A complete physical examination may be performed, including x-rays of the chest or abdomen and lung function tests. A CT (or CAT) scan or an MRI may also be useful.
A biopsy confirms a diagnosis of mesothelioma. In a biopsy, a surgeon or a medical oncologist removes a sample of tissue for examination under a microscope by a pathologist. (See Pathology Diagnosis to learn why some patients request a second opinion.)
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 parts of the body, such as the lymph nodes, lungs, chest wall, or abdominal organs.
What is the conventional approach to treating mesothelioma? Treatment for mesothelioma depends on the location of the cancer, the stage of the disease, and the patient's age and general health. Standard treatment options include surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Sometimes, these treatments are combined. Standard treatment for all but localized mesothelioma is generally not curative. 1 (See survival rates for median survival rates with different treatments.)
Surgery - Extrapleural pneumonectomy in selected patients with early stage disease may improve recurrence-free survival, but its impact on overall survival is unknown. Pleurectomy and decortication can provide palliative relief from symptomatic effusions, discomfort caused by tumor burden, and pain caused by invasive tumor. Operative mortality from pleurectomy/decortication is <2%, while mortality from extrapleural pneumonectomy has ranged from 6% to 30%. 2
Radiation/Chemotherapy - The use of radiation therapy in pleural mesothelioma has been shown to alleviate pain in the majority of patients treated; however, the duration of symptom control is short-lived. Single-agent and combination chemotherapy have been evaluated in single and combined modality studies. The most studied agent is doxorubicin, which has produced partial responses in approximately 15% to 20% of patients studied. Some combination chemotherapy regimens have been reported to have higher response rates in small phase II trials; however, the toxic effects reported are also higher, and there is no evidence that combination regimens result in longer survival or longer control of symptoms. 3
Alimta - The only FDA approved chemotherapy for malignant pleural mesothelioma (in combination with cisplatin) is pemetrexed (Alimta). In the key clinical trial that led to its approval, Alimta was combined with another chemotherapy drug (cisplatin) and compared with cisplatin alone. The patients who received the two drugs (Alimta and cisplatin) had their cancers progress (grow/spread) in 5.7 months (median). The patients who only received cisplatin had their tumors progress in 3.9 months (median). The median survival for the patients who received both drugs was 12.1 months versus 9.3 months for cisplatin only. 4
For some physicians, these therapeutic gains are not impressive. For example, some have written, "For the treatment of mesothelioma, there is little evidence that current therapies (chemotherapy, radiation, surgery) provide significant benefit for survival or quality of life.[R]adical treatments, occupying the 3 months after diagnosis, can take up the best 3 months that the patient might have had.Malignant mesothelioma has largely defeated treatment
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