Mesothelioma – What Are the Symptoms?

Mesothelioma is a cancer of the membranes that surround the organs or the mesothelium. This protective layer forms sacs around the heart, lungs and abdomen. A vast majority of cases are caused by exposure to asbestos, a natural fiber that was used to make a wide array of industrial materials from the 1800’s through the 1970’s.

In the mid-seventies, it was discovered that asbestos causes the cells of the mesothelium to become cancerous, often forming tumors and even metastasizing to other parts of the body. About twenty percent of all people with mesothelioma have no known exposure to asbestos. Still, those who had worked in construction or plants where asbestos was used are most likely to contract the disease.

People who worked with asbestos were exposed to tiny, airborne asbestos particles on the job and, unfortunately, were likely to inhale these particles. Further, these workers were even liable to exposing their families to the danger since the particles would remain on their person and in their clothing. Because asbestos is odorless, those who came in contact with it had no idea that they were actually inhaling a dangerous, cancer-causing substance.

To further complicate matters, mesothelioma symptoms can take anywhere from twenty to fifty years to develop. Because mesothelioma symptoms resemble many other conditions, it may take several tests for a doctor to make a correct diagnosis. The most common is mesothelioma pleura which refers to cancer in the sacs that surround the lungs. If you have mesothelioma of the lungs, you are likely to experience many of the symptoms associated with lung cancer such as an obstructed air passage which can lead to shortness of breath and chest pains.

Mesothelioma can also occur in the peritoneum, the lining around the abdomen, as well the pericardium which protects the heart. When it affects the lining of the heart, symptoms could also include shortness of breath and chest pain, but you may also experience heart palpitations. Peritoneal mesothelioma can manifest itself in a bowel obstruction, weight loss and anemia. Your abdomen could also start retaining fluid and swell to an abnormal size.

If you have any of these symptoms, it is imperative that you see a doctor. Only a doctor can give you a correct diagnosis. Frequently, these symptoms are all caused by other diseases. In fact, only one person in a million currently has mesothelioma in the United States. In countries with less regulation, incidences are expected to increase. But, it is still always a good idea to get checked by your doctor to be sure.

Mesothelioma, lung cancer and nutrition

(NaturalNews) Mesothelioma doesn't have to be fatal. This rare form of lung cancer has long been feared by workers exposed to asbestos in their work environments, and much of that fear is justified: This form of cancer can be deadly. But it doesn't always have to be.

There are natural ways to greatly extend life, even for those suffering from mesothelioma. Most are based on nutritional therapies, as you'll see below. It may seem counterintuitive to suppose that nutrition could play a role in a disease caused by a physical substance (asbestos), but in fact, antioxidants and phytonutrients that support healthy cellular protection can play a substantial role in preventing the onset of cancer.

Below, we've collected research from a number of noted natural health authors who explain more about what really causes mesothelioma and how to better protect yourself against it using nutritional therapies. It's not a huge collection of solutions, but the information you'll find here should provide more clues for further research.

This is a unique collection of research exclusive to NaturalNews. If you use any quotes from this research, please provide proper credit to both NaturalNews and the original author of the quote.

Natural remedies to help prevent mesothelioma

Asbestos causes cancer, particularly lung cancer and mesothelioma, a rare cancer of the membrane lining the chest or abdominal wall. Exposure to asbestos has also been shown to cause cancers of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, stomach, intestines, rectum, and kidney. Smoking greatly increases the likelihood of lung cancer in people exposed to asbestos. One study found that asbestos-exposed smokers have ten times the death rate from lung cancer as exposed nonsmokers. Kidney cancer and gastrointestinal cancers also have been associated with asbestos.
- Staying Healthy in a Risky Environment: The New York University Medical Center Family Guide by Arthur C. Upton, M.D.

In a 1998 study done in Western Australia, 1024 blue asbestos workers known to be at high risk of diseases such as mesothelioma and lung cancer, were enrolled in a cancer prevention program using vitamin A. Half the subjects were given 30 mg per day of beta carotene and the other half 7500 mcg (25,000 IU) of retinol. The workers were followed up from the start of the study in June 1990 until May 1995. Four cases of lung cancer and three cases of mesothelioma were observed in those in the vitamin A group, and six cases of lung cancer and 12 cases of mesothelioma in the beta carotene group.
- The New Encyclopedia of Vitamins, Minerals, Supplements and Herbs by Nicola Reavley

In Louisiana, a study of lung cancer showed fruit intake to be protective, while a small study of mesothelioma suggested that vegetable and carotenoid intake lowers the risk (NCI, 1988). The National Cancer Institute also announced that it had awarded over half a million dollars to the New York Botanical Garden to undertake a worldwide search for natural plant substances that might fight cancer. At the same time, NCI has established a Cancer Nutrition Laboratory and worked out elaborate plans to study "dietary factors associated with cancer risk".

Leading Mesothelioma Researcher Now Leads the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii

Hawaii is known for many things: surfing, beautiful beaches, pineapples, and now, cancer research. Michele Carbone, MD, PhD (Human Pathology), has recently been named director of the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii. He began his three-year term September 1, 2009, having previously served as the Center's interim director since December 2008.

Prior to joining the Center, Dr. Carbone had been a professor at Loyola University Medical Center's Cardinal Bernadin Cancer Center in Chicago and has spent most of his career researching thoracic cancers. Deemed an authority on malignant mesothelioma, a rare cancer related to asbestos exposure, Dr. Carbone and his research team have studied the impact of genetics, environmental carcinogens and viral infections on mesothelioma development.

"Our goal is to develop novel preventive and therapeutic approaches and bring them to the community and the patient's bedside," Carbone says. "We work in synergy with the major hospitals in the State of Hawai‘i, with their physicians, and with other cancer organizations to prevent and cure cancer."

When Carbone first began studying the disease in 1991, little was known about its causes beyond its link to asbestos. During the course of his career, he has uncovered a link between genetics and a U.S. government-mandated vaccine from the 1950s and '60s that can greatly increase odds of contracting mesothelioma. "I found… that humans had massively been exposed to SV40 (a DNA tumor virus) in the late '50s and early '60s through contaminated polio vaccines,” he says, “and that the enormous increase in the incidence of mesothelioma from about zero in 1950 to 2,000 to 3,000 deaths per year presently had occurred after people were exposed to SV40.” Not every dose contained the virus, but it is estimated that 10 million to 30 million Americans were exposed.

Dr. Carbone has received more than half of all federal funding for mesothelioma and approximately 90 percent of the National Cancer Institute’s funding allocated for mesothelioma research. "Funding from the National Institutes of Health is very low because of the whole economy of the United States, so we have gone from a pay line six years ago of about 26 percent to a pay line of 11 percent. Therefore, it's a difficult time to do research and you need to find additional sources of funding, specifically philanthropy," he says. "I think it will help Hawaii if people on Mainland do not think of Hawaii only as a vacation place, but also as a place where normal people live normal lives and have normal jobs, for example, medical research.”

Carbone and his research offer hope for a diagnosis that has been nothing but grim in the past. He and his research team have participated in studies that led to the isolation of a new serum marker, osteopontin, which appears useful to identify patients with early mesothelioma. He explains that, "If we can validate prospectively the usefulness of these serological markers, we will be able to monitor cohorts of workers exposed to asbestos for early sign of mesothelioma and for early treatment that is linked to a better survival. I really believe that we can help people and make a difference."