Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment method by giving substance / drug that will be useful to kill cancer cells. To kill cancer cells by interfering with the function performed cell reproduction. Chemotherapy is useful to reduce the size of the cancer before surgery, destroy all the cancer cells left behind after surgery.

In the case of cancer treatment through:

• surgery
• chemotherapy
• radiotherapy

Side effects of chemotherapy are:

• nausea and gag
• damage to the kidneys
• irritate the oral cavity
• hair loss
• decreased sexual desire
• sprue
• diarrhea

how to overcome it:

• provision of anti-nausea and vomiting
• currently sits on the queasy feeling fresh
• eating high levels of protein and carbohydrate (puddings, cereals, meatballs, pudding, milk, toast, soup, yogurt, cheese, condensed milk, dates, nuts, etc.)
• do oral care by brushing your teeth before bed and after meals. When you can not brush my teeth because of gum bleeding, use an oral
• give lip moisturizer as needed
• avoid smoking, spicy food and water ice

for patients with late stage cancer / metastasis, chemotherapy action can only delay death or prolong a patient's life for a while.

Cancer Med May Improve Long-Term Mesothelioma Survival

The case of a German man who has lived more than 9 years with malignant mesothelioma is bringing attention to the drug that may have helped him defy the odds.

Mesothelioma is an aggressive malignancy of the pleural, peritoneal or pericardial membranes. It is most closely associated with occupational or environmental exposure to the toxic mineral asbestos and has a median survival of just 12 months after diagnosis. But the 67-year-old former German asbestos worker who is the subject of a new published report has stable mesothelioma, almost a decade after his initial examination.

Writing on the case in the medical journal Onco Targets and Therapy, doctors at the University of Essen say the patient was diagnosed with mesothelioma after a CT evaluation revealed a mass and thickening on the right side of the pleural lining around the lungs. The patient was treated with a combination of chemotherapy medications including an oral medication called etoposide and an injectable drug called paclitaxel.

Along with these drugs, the mesothelioma patient was also given pegylated liposomal doxorubicin hydrochloride by injection. Classified as an anthracycline, doxorubicin has the ability to interrupt communication within a cell’s DNA and prevent replication. According to the National Cancer Institute, liposomal delivery of doxorubicin HCL “improves drug penetration into tumors and decreases drug clearance”, which can increase the length of time that the drug will be effective in the body. A liposomal formulation of doxorubicin has also been shown to help make drug less toxic to the heart.

When the German patient had completed his chemotherapy, radiologic evaluation showed that the thickening caused by mesothelioma on his pleural lining had decreased and his symptoms had improved. While the researchers note that the patient’s follow-up is ongoing, regular CT scans indicate that his mesothelioma has not progressed in nine years.

Today, the gold standard for mesothelioma chemotherapy treatment in the U.S. is usually a combination of pemetrexed and a platinum-based drug such as cisplatin. Regardless of the chemotherapy regimen used, the new report suggests that doxorubicin HCL, particularly when delivered in a liposomal form, may have the ability to improve its effectiveness.

Sources:

Zaroqoulidis, P et al, “Pegylated liposomal doxorubicin in malignant pleural mesothelioma: a possible guardian for long-term survival”, Onco Targets and Therapy, September 27, 2012, Epub ahead of print.

Pegylated liposomal doxorubicin hydrochloride information, National Cancer Institute Drug Dictionary.

© Surviving Mesothelioma and Cancer Monthly. All rights reserved.

WHO on the control of asbestos

World Health Organization (WHO) provides some guidance on the control of asbestos exposure as follows:

1. regulation

Many industrialized countries have determined the exposure limit 2 fibers / ml of air (some states specify 1 fiber / ml) as the maximum level of the average time allowed for krisotil. Spraying of asbestos is now banned in many places, and some countries do not make a difference between fiber types. However, concerns  persist, because the danger is not completely reflected by the microscopic optical fiber count, because seratserat more subtle and more dangerous, not detectable by this method. As a result, the danger can be very different in various industrial processes although the levels of asbestos in the environment is the same optically assessed.

2. engineering

Successful dust control begins by covering mein-operation and local exhaust ventilation holes that can not be avoided. Other dust control methods include:

a. Insulation works related to asbestos dust

b. Reducing the number of workers exposed

c. Changing the method of the production process (eg make threads asbestos suspension and wet  conditions).

Mesothelioma Prognosis

Malignant mesothelioma prognosis is very bad. The average life of 9-12 months and some can be up to 5 years. Mesothelioma due to asbestos exposure can result in fatality in 2 to 4 years after diagnosis, there is even less than a year. Prognosis is influenced by various factors, including the size and stage of the tumor, tumor spread, cell type, and whether the tumor is responding to treatment. The average life expectancy of less than one year in patients with mesothelioma.

The study cohort method has been carried out in Slokavia on 737 workers exposed to asbestos more than 10 years and more than 20 years since first exposure at the plant semenasbes the period 1983-2000  from research it was diagnosed 29 cases suffering from asbestosis, including 8 cases of combination with lung carcinoma, and 5 cases with malignant mesothelioma.

The relative risk of lung cancer increased from 2.2 to 9.4% each year from exposure to these fibers.

During the year 1987-1997 found as many as 285 patients with malignant mesothelioma in Slovakia. The number of cases each year varies from 4 (1978) to 32 (1997), but both are calculated based on the number and incidence per 100,000 population shows that the tendency of 0.08 in 1978 rose to 0.59 in 1997. The aging of patients with malignant mesothelioma showed that the highest frequencies are in the age group 60-69 years (41%), both in the age group 70-79 years (30%), third in the age group 50-59 years (28.6%). A 15-year-old mesothelioma patient is a boy whose father worked in a factory AC and bring asbestos-contaminated work clothes home.

In a study of Finnish patients aged 80 years and over with a method from the 1967-1995 cohort found that men with asbestosis have an increased risk for mesothelioma (SIR = 32; CI = 14-60). Men with pleural abnormalities have a higher risk of mesothelioma (Standardized Incidence Rate (SIR) = 5.5, Confidence Interval

(CI) = 1.5 to 14) and a slight increase for lung cancer (SIR = 1.3, CI = 1.0 to 1.8). Among women with asbestosis, mesothelioma also increased significantly.

Prevention of mesothelioma

Prevention mesotheliomas main and most effective way is to reverse the spread of dust in the workplace environment. The most effective prevention of the occurrence of mesothelioma in workers is to avoid exposure.

Slovak Ministry of Health has published the "Regulation No.4/1985 Bull. of the Ministry helath on helath Principles to be kept in Handling and Work with Chemical carcinogens, Regulation No. 8/1990 Bull. of the Ministry of Helath on Control of Asbestos and PCBs ". The main principle of the rule is the use of asbestos was banned in all things, which can lead to though a little risky substances, production or materials containing asbestos should only be used when other alternatives are not at risk of material can not be used.

Secondary prevention is done by medical personnel (doctors factories, medical units of work, public health institutes) in collaboration with the owners and workers. Prevention, among others, in the form of all workers exposed to asbestos should undergo regular inspections during the period of work particular, including the following does not work at this site again or resign from the job, limiting tobacco smoking,minimize and record job asbestos exposure, early detection, adequate treatment and rehabilitation of health changes associated with asbestos.

Mesothelioma Treatment

There is no effective treatment for mesothelioma. But good treatment outcome in patients with early stage of mesothelioma. 

Most people use a combination therapy, called multimodal therapy. Handling classics such as surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy less effect on curing diseases and life skills. Pleuropneumonektomi radical surgery such as; as single-modality treatment, also showed no improvement on life skills. But management trimodaliti with pleuronektomi ekstrapleural and adjuvant chemotherapy followed by radical external radiation to be hemitoraks help the ability to live up to 5 years by 45% for patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma of epithelial limited and there is no spread to the mediastinum. But radical action is intended only for a particular patient. 

Radiotherapy can not cure, but it is usually used to prevent further infiltration of the tumor and treat chest pain. Chemotherapy did not work, either act alone or in combination with other measures. To improve the ability of malignant pleural mesothelioma survival, new therapeutic strategies try to use the base immunotherapy or gene therapy. Gamma interferon is used intrapleura results are quite good in limited-stage disease. 

Mechanism of action of antitumor of gamma interferon is a complex, inter alia: (1) direct antiproliferative effect on

tumor cells, (2) pleural macrophage activation into cytotoxic to tumor cells, and (3) activation of T lymphocytes and natural killer cells by cytokines released by the macrophages.

Mesothelioma Verdict Handed Down

Congratulations to Steve Smith, Charlie Candon and Will Minkin, of the Law Offices of Peter Angelos, who obtained a $4.5 million verdict against Hopeman Bros. today on behalf of Mrs. Reinhardt, the widow of Horace Reinhardt who worked at Maryland Drydock and Shipbuilding in the 1960s.

Verdict details: $4.5 million ($3.5 million (non-econ.) and $1 million (wrongful death), with Hopeman responsible for $2.2 million (approx.)

Mesothelioma Screening

There is no effective therapy for mesothelioma. And there is no universally agreed protocol for screening people who have been exposed to asbestos. Screening tests might diagnose mesothelioma earlier than conventional methods thus improving the survival prospects for patients.

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 diagnosis and it has been suggested that it may be useful for screening.

Doctors have begun testing the Mesomark assay which measures levels of soluble mesothelin-related proteins (SMRPs) released by diseased mesothelioma cells.

Mesothelioma Diagnosis

Mesothelioma Diagnosis is difficult, it requires special inspection, and experienced experts. However, the first step is to do chest X-ray or CT-scan, and then usually followed by action bronkoskopy. Invasive tumor spread directly into surrounding tissue. When deployment into, will compress the lungs. When spread out would invade the chest wall and ribs, this situation makes the patient feel very sick.

Medical science still can not answer at the cellular level, why and how asbestos fibers cause mesotelial cells become abnormal (malignant or cancerous). Similarly unknown if only one fiber cause tumors or if need more fiber to the occurrence of mesotheliomas. The development of these tumors do not depend on the development of other factors. Suspected that the malignant cells are found in the tumor occurs due to genetic factors which occur cell transformation.

Mesothelioma Symptoms

Mesothelioma is a cancer that occurs in the line of cells outside the lung, pleura or located within the cavity peritoenum. The disorder is usually associated with asbestos exposure on the job and
began to rise in some countries. Pleural mesotheliomas are of two types: (1) diffuse and malignant (cancer), and (2) is localized and benign.

Symptoms begin to appear 20 years after exposure. Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a rare tumor, but in epidemiology insidensnya increased sharply. Some reports indicate that mesothelioma associated with exposure to asbestos found as many as 60-80% of cases. There is little data on the disease. The risk seems related to the dose / amount of levels of asbestos in the lungs. Mesotheliomas that occur due to exposure to asbestos can lead to fatality in 2 to 4 years after diagnosis.

However, tumors are known to occur after exposure to krokidolit work for 6 weeks. Cancer spread and metastasize widely. Bloody effusion with pain in the chest wall often there due massive pleural effusion of blood mixed.  Therefore people who suffer from pleural effusion with a history of exposure to asbestos even a few years ago to think about the possibility of

mesotheliomas.  In animal experiments suggest that these fibers are very fine with a diameter of about 0.1 and a length of 8 milimikron milimikron or more responsible for the occurrence of mesotheliomas.

Mesothelioma is rarely reported as a result of exposure to pure topaz, but is accompanied by exposure to krokidolit, amosit, or mixtures containing these minerals. 

Mesotheliomas are responsible for approximately 2-16% of deaths. The risk of mesothelioma is not affected by smoking in asbestos-exposed workers.

Mesotheliomas diagnosed sometimes inadvertently, before symptoms appear. Sometimes a tumor was found on a routine chest X-ray. However, when symptoms are present, it seemed short of breath, weakness, weight loss,

loss of appetite, chest pain, sore lower backs, persistent cough, difficulty swallowing, while symptoms may appear alone or combined with others. On physical examination found pleural effusion. Fluid from the pleural effusion can generally be viewed by chest X-ray and lung auscultation on physical examination. However, a definitive diagnosis mesotheliomas can only be enforced through a biopsy, pathology examination and autopsy. This is important because there is also a pleural effusion caused by disease or other tumors that have a picture similar to mesotheliomas.

What is Mesothelioma

Asbest is a fibrous mineral which is being used in many places. Asbest exposure can cause asbestosis. Asbestosis is a work men’s disease. Asbest fibers are inhaled and enter the lung parenchym; and if it remains there, it will become permanent and is difuse interstisial, and alveolar fibrosis. Asbest in the body can cause lung cancer and pleura or peritoneal mesothelioma. 

The relationship between lung carcinoma and exposure asbestos in people who suffer from asbestosis was generally accepted. Irvine et al. examined at 19,000 cases of lung cancer Cancer Surveillance Unit West Scotland concluded that nearly 5.7% of lung cancer is mesothelioma sufferers related to asbestos. 

In Indonesia, the use of asbestos as a material building (eg roof tiles) are often found. This means there is a risk of asbestos exposure workers in industries that produce materials buildings containing asbestos are that the risk for lung problems and lung cancer or mesothelioma is very high. Although there are still many industries / factories producing building materials containing asbestos, but in Indonsia data on lung cancer or mesothelioma related to asbestos or Asbestosis has not been found. the absence awareness of workers about the impact of  asbestos-exposed workers can be seen from many asbestos in Indonesia do not use tools adequately protective of exposure to asbestos which can cause lung cancer risk and mesotheliomas.