Mesothelioma Information

Mesothelioma

is an uncommon form of cancer,where cancer cells are located in the pleura, the peritoneum and the pericardium of the affected individual. Thus, the three main forms of mesothelioma are pleural mesothelioma, peritoneal mesothelioma and pericardial mesothelioma. Pleural mesothelioma targets the lining of the lung, peritoneal mesothelioma affects the abdominal cavity, and pericardial mesothelioma targets the lining around the heart.

Generally, people suffering from this disease have worked on jobs where they were in close contact with asbestos. Others have contracted the disease without any direct exposure to asbestos. There is a dormant period of 20 to 50 years between the first exposure to the mineral and the appearance of mesothelioma symptoms. There are rare occasions when the effects have been felt before 20 years, after first exposure to asbestos.

There are cases where people have been affected by the disease some four decades after a summer construction job brought them in contact with asbestos. It is not uncommon for housewives to catch the disease after washing asbestos-dust-infected clothes of their husbands and sons who work with asbestos-related products. There are several reported cases of people working in the Navy years back, who have contracted the disease now.

Some jobs put you at risk of the disease more than others. They are: insulators (people who install insulation); pipe fitters and steam fitters (who regularly work in claustrophobic conditions in ships and work with insulation); electricians; carpenters; mechanics; shipyard workers; maintenance workers; laborers, etc. Industrial sites characteristically are the most affected.

Though the survival rate for mesothelioma is low, there are some conventional treatments that can be tried. They are: surgery

, where the tumor is removed; chemotherapy, where specific drugs are used to fight the malignancy; and radiation therapy, where high energy rays are deployed to kill the malignant cells.

Breast Cancer Treatment With Fruit

New research indicates that substances found in pomegranates and mangoes may be natural alternatives to breast cancer medication and other treatment options. If you love sinking your teeth into juicy delectable fruits, you are in luck, particularly if you know someone with breast cancer or are a breast cancer patient yourself. Pomegranates and mangoes are considered to be superfruits, or fruits that are known for their exceptional nutritional richness and antioxidant qualities. Fruits are delicious, contain a variety of nutrients, and there are no side effects as a result of their consumption, which makes them an excellent form of medicine.

Mangos

At Texas A& M University s AgriLife Research department, laboratory experiments indicated that mango fruit prevented or stopped cancer growth in certain breast and colon cell lines. The experiments also showed that mango extract demonstrated some anticancer abilities when tested on prostate, leukemia and lung cancer cells. When tested on the most common breast and colon cancers, however, mango compounds were found to have even stronger cancer fighting abilities than when tested on the other types of cancer cells.

In the experiments, the researchers documented that the cancer cell division process was interrupted by the mango extract. In fact, the mango extract caused the colon and breast cancer cells to undergo apoptosis, or programmed cell death.

What do mangoes contain that may eventually have the scientific and medical communities singing their praises as worthwhile adversaries of breast cancer? The answer is polyphenols, the natural phytochemicals found in plants. Polyphenols are antioxidants with the potential to protect the body from disease.

When husband and wife food scientists Dr. Suzanne and Steve Talcott performed the experiments at Texas A& M, they evaluated specific polyphenols for effectiveness. What they found was that gallotannins were the most active cancer fighting agents in mangoes. Gallotannins are a class of natural polyphenolic compounds believed to aid in the prevention or halt the growth of cancer cells.

Pomegranates

In reference to the results of a study published in the January issue of Cancer Prevention Research, researchers say they ve found a natural substance in pomegranates that could prevent the development of hormone dependent breast cancer and stop the growth of estrogen responsive tumors. Pomegranate fruit contains phytochemicals, specifically Urolithin B, that work like aromatase inhibitors.

Aromatase inhibitors are used by physicians to block the synthesis of estrogen in an attempt to subdue the growth of estrogen dependent breast cancer tumors. According to the Mayo Clinic website, AI drugs come choc full of side effects such as severe joint pain, muscle aches, hot flashes, headaches, bone fractures, fatigue, and even a risk of heart disease.

The research team for the aforementioned study discovered that natural phytochemicals found in pomegranates suppress estrogen production, thereby preventing the spread of breast cancer cells and the growth of estrogen responsive tumors. One particular substance found in pomegranates dubbed Urolithin B significantly inhibited the growth of cultured breast cancer cells in the laboratory.

So, mango and pomegranate lovers, eat and drink up! Both fruits have the potential to alter some of those dismal breast cancer statistics by preventing the spread of breast cancer!
By : Jenny Heart