Cancer sucks. My best friend had it twice as a kid and survived. He had a tumor in his neck, had it removed, went through chemo and radiation and was fine for a year... then a year later, the cancer came back and he had to undergo all of the treatments again. The good news is, he beat it.
A couple of years ago, I had a bunch of moles removed from my body as recommended by my dermatologist. None of the moles were cancerous, however I ended up getting a bunch of cheloid scars in place of where my moles were.
Recently a skin tag appeared on my arm. I'm not really sure what it is... but that's what my wife calls it. I've been keeping a close eye on it. If it gets any bigger, I'm gonna go see my doctor.
While browsing the web and doing some research on cancer, I came across this info about a rare disease called Mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma is a rare disease caused as a result of malignant cancerous cells lining the patient's body cavities such as chest, abdominal region or the area surrounding the heart. It is typically associated with exposure to asbestos which has been documented in as many as 70-80% of all mesothelioma cases. This disease is very difficult to assess consistently due to the great variability in time before diagnosis and the rate of progression of malignant mesothelioma.
Even insignificant exposure to asbestos (commonly reported in such work environments as asbestos mills, mines, shipping yards, some older Navy ships or patients. homes) is known to result in mesothelioma, which in many cases does not occur for decades after initial exposure to this cancer-causing substance. In the recent years as many as 2000-3000 cases of mesothelioma have been diagnosed per year. It is also known that family members of workers exposed to asbestos can contract this disease through exposure to the worker.s clothing. Smoking greatly increases the risk of contracting mesothelioma.
Some of the earliest symptoms of mesothelioma can often be mistaken for less serious illness and are commonly overlooked. Some patients do not show any signs of sickness in the early stages of development of the disease. Most commonly the symptoms include dyspnea, pleuritic pain, lasting cough, fatigue, and weight loss. However, these can not be easily attributed to mesothelioma unless the patient is examined by their health care provider and necessary tests are done, which may include CT scans, x-rays scans, or MRI. Surgery can be one of the treatment options; however, the recurrence rate of cancerous cells is high. It is very important that the disease is diagnosed and treated as early as possible.
This disease is not linked with patient's race; however it is more common in men. Most cases of mesothelioma occur 30-45 years after initial exposure to asbestos. Once it develops, this cancer will continue to grow until it is treated.
Mesothelioma Treatment: What You Can DoIf you or someone you know has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, remember that time matters. The faster you consult your doctor and get professional care the better your chances will be of dealing with this dangerous cancer. There are three traditional methods of fighting cancerous mesothelioma: surgery, chemotherapy drugs and radiation therapy. Please contact your doctor as soon as possible to get more information.
In my view Cancer is a big problem we ought to organize best health care and better service for cancer patients.
Posted by: Andrew Spark | February 07, 2006 at 02:00 AM