Mesothelioma Cancer

By P. Mehta

Mesothelioma is a type of cancer involving mesothelial tissues of body organs usually lungs or abdominal. It is often caused by exposure to asbestos. However, there are 30-50% of patients without any history of asbestos exposure. People who have received asbestos exposure of as little as one or two months to very low doses are at risk of mesothelioma cancer. Even people who wash clothes of asbestos exposed people are at risk. A person exposed to asbestos could develop mesothelioma after 50 years of exposure.

People in the occupations such as construction jobs in shipyards, insulators, boilermakers, etc. are at the risk of contracting asbestos disease.

The 2 common types of mesothelioma are:

Pleural mesothelioma (lung cancer) and Peritoneal mesothelioma (abdomen organs). The survival time for a patient with diffuse malignant mesothelioma is from 4 to 24 months from the observance of the symptoms. Mesothelioma is also difficult to diagnose.

The chance of recovery for a patient with mesothelioma depends on size and location of the cancer, age of the patient and his response to the treatment.

Presently, the treatment options for mesotheliomas are:

Radiation therapy, Chemotherapy, Surgery and Photodynamic therapy. There is some evidence that provitamin A or beta-carotene may decrease the risk of mesothelioma.

Copyright 2004, P. Mehta http://www.FatFreeKitchen.com
[Please note that this article is not a subsitute for medical advise. You have permission to publish this article in your web sites, ezines or electronic publication, as long as the piece is used in its entirety including the resource box, all hyperlinks (clickable) and references and copyright info. ]

About The Author
P. Mehta
For more information visit http://www.fatfreekitchen.com/warning-

Deadly heart disease strikes more women than men

by: NC
(NC)—Although heart disease is the number one killer of women in Canada, very few women actually consider the disease a major health concern.
In fact, women and their doctors often miss the symptoms of heart disease, passing them off as the normal aches and pains of aging or indigestion or stress.
The traditional belief that heart disease predominantly affects men is false.
In 2000, 36 per cent of all female deaths in Canada were a result of heart disease compared to 34 per cent for males.
As women age the risk of dying from heart disease increases dramatically. Researchers believe that after menopause women lose the heart protecting benefits of estrogen. The result is a steep increase in heart disease and death.
Women need to educate themselves on the risks of this deadly disease and play an active role in their own heart health.

It is not all bad news. Medical discoveries are paving the way to better preventive treatments. A recent landmark study investigated a new treatment for both men and women with coronary disease who are what cardiologists consider 'low-risk' but nevertheless are dying even though they feel quite well until a few days before they die.
This important international study, EUROPA, provides compelling evidence that heart attacks and death can be significantly reduced in patients with coronary artery disease when the common and well studied ACE Inhibitor perindopril (Coversyl®) is added to their daily treatment regimen.
Considering that half of all heart disease deaths in women are from coronary artery disease, this is both a milestone in cardiology and a major step forward for women.

For more information, talk to your doctor or visit www.europa-trial.org.
- News Canada

About the author:
News Canada