Mesothelioma Information Washington DC Blog | Asbestos Attorney

Sunday, September 28, 2008

What is the Difference Between Lung Cancer and Mesothelioma?

One difference between lung cancer and mesothelioma is that mesothelioma is a tumor that could be either noncancerous (benign) or cancerous (malignant,) while lung cancer is malignant. Another difference is the specific tissue that is involved.

Lung cancer is a malignant tumor in the lung airways and lung tissue. All lung tissue is encased within the pleural membrane. Asbestos fibers that lodge in the lung airway tissue can cause cancer in the lung itself. Lung cancer has many other causes in addition to asbestos exposure.

Pleural mesothelioma is a tumor, either benign or malignant, that is growing in the pleural membrane tissue that encases the lung. This tissue is called mesothelium. Asbestos fibers that lodge in the pleural mesothelium encasing the lung can cause a tumor called mesothelioma. Most cases of mesothelioma are caused by asbestos exposure.

Mesothelioma usually begins in either the pleura, or the peritoneum, which is a similar lining around abdominal organs. Once the tumor becomes malignant, or cancerous, the disease can metastasize, spreading to other organs and throughout the body, regardless of where it starts. Studies show a strong correlation between asbestos exposure and cancer of the lungs and mesothelioma.

If you or a family member has been diagnosed with mesothelioma or asbestosis, please contact the experienced mesothelioma lawyers in Baltimore, Maryland and Washington, D.C. for a free initial consultation.

posted by Patti at 10:33 AM

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Effects of Smoking on Mesothelioma patients

The risk of developing mesothelioma does not increase in smokers who are exposed to asbestos according to studies. Smoking is, however, a known risk factor greatly increasing the probability of lung cancer. Combined with exposure to inhaled asbestos, smoking increases the risk of developing lung cancer synergistically. That is, the risk of getting lung cancer is greater than the sum of the individual risks of asbestos exposure and smoking added together. And the combination of two cancers, mesothelioma and lung cancer severely reduce the chance of recovery or improvement in the quality of life.

More Complications from Smoking
Smoking is also a cause of obstructive lung disease, such as bronchitis, emphysema, and asthma. Mesothelioma is a cancer that can cause pleural effusion (inflammation of the pleura and fluid retention,) and thickening of the membrane. This causes a restriction on how deep a breath can be taken. This classifies it as a restrictive lung disease. Restrictive and obstructive lung diseases reduce the amount of oxygen that can move into the bloodstream as it flows through the lungs by different mechanisms. The combination of restrictive and obstructive lung disease, again, causes damage synergistically.

Restrictive lung disease results from pleural effusion (fluid in the pleural space between the visceral and parietal pleura) and thickened tissue. Both conditions impair oxygen getting into the blood. Red blood cells travel away empty or only partly full of oxygen.

Pleural effusion compresses adjacent lung tissue (alveoli) and blood vessels, preventing oxygenation of blood by reducing the amount of oxygen that can enter the alveoli as well as the amount of blood that flows through those vessels. Often, blood will pass by alveoli that are squeezed closed and pick up no oxygen. This blood mixes with oxygenated blood when it reaches the heart and decreases the overall oxygenation of the blood that is circulated to the body, or hypoxemia. Hypoxemia stresses all of the body’s organs and can lead to permanent brain damage, heart attack, and other complications.
Thickened tissue obstructs the transfer of oxygen across the membrane. The blood will pass through the tissue to the vessels, but the blood won’t pick up as much oxygen as it can hold because oxygen is not getting through fast enough.
Thickened tissue increases the distance oxygen must travel, thus the blood picks up less oxygen as it passes through the lung.
Changes in the pleural mesothelium can include plaques and calcification, limiting the elasticity of the pleura, causing it to become stiff and rigid. This restricts how deep a breath can be taken.

Obstructive lung disease, commonly caused by smoking, includes inflamed, thickened and narrowed airways, inflamed and thickened lung tissue, reduces the amount of air that gets into the lungs, and, consequently, the amount of oxygen that gets into the bloodstream. Obstructions decrease oxygenation because:

Inflamed lung tissues increase secretions that block the flow of air, or effectively narrow the airway
Inflamed airways swell inwards, narrowing the airways of the lungs
Narrowed airways limit how much air can move through the lung. Imagine how much air can be blown through a garden hose vs. how much can be blown through a straw.
Narrowed airways increase airflow turbulence
Thickened secretions can become mucus plugs that close off entire branches of airways
Thickened secretions and plugs, in turn, create ideal conditions for pneumonia

Evidence indicates that people who have been exposed to asbestos can reduce their risk of getting lung cancer if they quit smoking or never smoked. You can avoid additional complications from obstructive lung disease by quitting smoking and avoiding smoky environments.

If you or a family member has been diagnosed with mesothelioma or asbestosis, please contact the experienced mesothelioma lawyers in Baltimore, Maryland and Washington, D.C. for a free initial consultation.

posted by Patti at 10:29 AM

Friday, September 12, 2008

What is peritoneal Mesothelioma?

Peritoneal mesothelioma is a cancer caused from ingesting asbestos particles that subsequently lodge in the mesothelium, the lining that covers most of the abdominal organs.

How Does Asbestos Get Into These Organs?

Asbestos particles can be swallowed by:

Drinking water that contains particles
Swallowing secretions that are coughed up from the lungs after inhaling particles
Eating dirt from food grown in contaminated soil or dropped on the ground
Touching food or drink with hands contaminated with asbestos
Asbestos particles that are inhaled may reach the peritoneum via the lymphatic system

The mesothelium has two layers, the parietal layer that forms the peritoneal sac, or peritoneum, within the abdomen, and the visceral layer that wraps around the individual organs within the peritoneum. Mesothelial membranes produce a serous fluid that acts as a lubricant and allows the organs to move freely within this peritoneal sac.

Over time, asbestos particles may cause cell changes, possibly from chronic inflammation that becomes cancerous. Cancerous cells grow at an uncontrolled rate because they are unable to regulate how they divide. Peritoneal mesothelioma can manifest with thickened membranes, fluid buildup, and tumors.

If you have been exposed to asbestos, and show any of the symptoms listed below, see your doctor for a careful examination and thorough diagnostic testing.

Abdominal pain
Abdominal swelling caused by fluid buildup
Abdominal lumps
Nausea, vomiting
Diarrhea with no other known cause
Constipation with no other known cause
Bowel obstruction
Fatigue
Night sweats
Fever with no apparent cause
Weight loss
Anemia
Abnormal blood clotting

If you or a family member has been diagnosed with mesothelioma or asbestosis, please contact the experienced mesothelioma lawyers in Baltimore, Maryland and Washington, D.C. for a free initial consultation.

posted by Patti at 10:24 AM

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

What is Malignant Mesothelioma?

Malignant mesothelioma is a cancer caused by inhaling or swallowing asbestos particles. A mesothelium is a double-layered membrane that lines the lungs, abdominal organs, heart and other body organs. These membranes glide on a lubricating layer of serious fluid between them, which allows these organs to move freely as the lungs expand and contract during breathing, the stomach expands and contracts after eating, or as the heart pumps.

The mesothelial membrane surrounding the lungs is called the pleura, the abdominal organs are called the peritoneum, and the membrane surrounding the heart is called the pericardium. Mesothelioma is cancer caused from asbestos fibers irritating, inflaming and scarring these linings.

Mesothelioma facts:

Asbestos is the only known cause of mesothelioma.
Pleural mesothelioma is the most common form of this disease.
Peritoneal mesothelioma accounts for up to 20 percent of cases.
It can take between 15-50 years between exposure and diagnosis.
A minimum level of safe exposure to asbestos has not yet been established.
Many people who are exposed to asbestos do not develop mesothelioma.
Between two to three thousand cases of mesothelioma are reported annually.

posted by Patti at 10:19 AM