Malignant Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells are found in the pleura (the thin layer of tissue that lines the chest cavity and covers the lungs) or the peritoneum (the thin layer of tissue that lines the abdomen and covers most of the organs in the abdomen). Malignant mesothelioma may also form in the heart or testicles, but this is rare.
Malignant Mesothelioma cases are expected to continue to rise through the next decade.
This rare cancer’s only confirmed cause is exposure to asbestos, a durable mineral that was used for centuries in products ranging from housing insulation to even crockpots.
Regulating Asbestos
Although the Environmental Protection Agency has stricter regulations around the known carcinogen today, it is still not banned in the United States. Even with a ban, these legacy uses of the toxin in hundreds of thousands of buildings, homes, and schools will remain a threat.
The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization petitioned Congress to make a day for awareness. Their ultimate goal is to get asbestos banned in the United States. Right now it is not allowed in construction, but still can be used in other products. This year the retail store Justice pulled two make-up products that tested positive for asbestos. The talc in the make-up had traces of asbestos.
In 2015 the Environmental Working Group found several brands of crayons contained asbestos. Snopes.com discusses the findings. “When the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CSPC) followed up on the Seattle Post-Intelligencer’s article about asbestos in crayons in 2000 with their own analysis, they categorized the risk of asbestos exposure from crayons to be “extremely low” — in large part because trace amounts of asbestos encased in a waxy substance such as crayons are not friable (easily crumbled or reduced to powder) and therefore pose little risk of being inhaled or absorbed.”
Another common source of exposure is from fires. Firefighters have a very high cancer rate from environmental and chemical hazards on the job. The Clarkfield Fire Department is working on acquiring an equipment washer to clean the contaminants encountered during the job.
September 26 is National Mesothelioma Awareness Day.
The event is a terrific way for mesothelioma cancer charities across the country to fundraise for important research that one day may find a cure for the disease.
Every day, mesothelioma researchers and advocates push the boundaries of science and politics to improve the lives of mesothelioma victims and caregivers around the world.
Today is extremely important for the 2,000 to 3,000 victims diagnosed every year with mesothelioma and their families. While the aggressive disease is relatively unknown by most people throughout the country, those who struggle with mesothelioma know all too well the toll it takes on its victims and their families.
We would like to share the following words from Loraine Kember, who lost her husband to mesothelioma.
Tragically the word mesothelioma is becoming more and more well known. The mere mention of it striking fear into all of us for we know that it is associated with death. Asbestos is the reaper, mesothelioma its handmaiden.
Asbestos, the wonder product of the fifties, is now recognized as an enemy of the twentieth century, a ruthless enemy that will kill more people than the war. Men, women, and children will fall victim to its prey, innocents who have at some time in their lives inhaled asbestos dust.
Most of us have been in contact with products containing asbestos in our lifetimes. We sat in asbestos classrooms, stood beside our fathers as they cut asbestos fencing, pulled up old linoleum with asbestos clogged to the back of it.
Records show that there are a higher number of people afflicted with asbestosis and mesothelioma who have directly worked in asbestos mines, shipyards, and companies making products from asbestos; however, there are a large number of people afflicted, who have never worked in these industries.
Their contact with asbestos is from the dust brought home on their husband’s clothes or from the asbestos tailings placed around mine houses and town perimeters.
But the tragedy does not end there, children innocently playing in their own back yards played amongst the asbestos tailings as children elsewhere play in the sand. They had no way of knowing that their sand was asbestos blue. A good bath at the end of the day may have removed the dust from the skin, but the dust in the lungs remained and would lay dormant for many years before claiming its deadly legacy.
Without warning, a healthy individual suddenly becomes short of breath, x-rays reveal fluid on the lungs, and the nightmare begins.
Questions are asked, and you answer, Yes, I was exposed to asbestos dust, but I was only in the town for a few short months, and that was over 40 years ago. How can this be? This is the most perplexing thing about mesothelioma. Why is there such a long period of time between inhalation of asbestos dust and the onset of the disease? What triggers a strong, healthy body to suddenly succumb to it? What can we do to prevent this from happening?
Blood tests are now available to determine whether mesothelioma is present in the body before a person is aware of any symptoms. This is an amazing breakthrough, and perhaps the first step towards curing the disease before it becomes terminal.
Recently mesothelioma was cured in a mouse, and attempts to give it back to the mouse were unsuccessful. This, too, is exciting stuff and holds a glimmer of hope for us all.
I have witnessed firsthand the devastation of mesothelioma. My husband was a strong and virile man who rarely had a sick day in his life. Suddenly at the age of 52, he became short of breath and was subsequently diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma. He had lived in the asbestos mining town of Wittenoom in Western Australia for a few short months at the age of seven. The asbestos dust he inhaled then took forty-five years to become lethal. I still find this hard to believe.
Despite his prognosis of three to nine months, Brian survived for two years. He was 54 years old when he died.
Source: Excerpts for Loraine Kember – Author of “Lean on Me” Cancer through a Carer’s Eyes. Lorraine’s book is written from her experience of caring for her dying husband in the hope of helping others. It includes insight and discussion on Anticipatory Grief, Understanding and identifying pain, Pain Management, and Symptom Control, Chemotherapy, Palliative Care, Quality of Life, and Dying at home. It also features excerpts and poems from her personal diary. “Lean on Me” is highly recommended by the Cancer Council.
There is a danger of malignant mesothelioma from second-hand exposure from equipment.
Heather Von St. James is a spokesperson for Mesothelioma awareness and was exposed to asbestos as a child. Her father worked in construction hanging drywall and Von St. James would wear his coat outdoors during the winter, but, unbeknownst to her, it often carried asbestos dust. Years later, she started having problems after her daughter was born. She survived, and now helps spread a message of hope, and encouraging the search for a cure.
Here is her story. It is on YouTube titled “Heather Von St James | A Mesothelioma Cancer Survivor Story”
This Mesothelioma Awareness Day, we at Krug Consulting urge you to get involved in raising awareness for this rare cancer and the need for continued research.
Until asbestos is banned, more work needs to be done to better prevent, diagnose, and treat this disease. Together, we can all make a difference in the fight to end mesothelioma once and for all.
You can host or donate to a fundraiser in your community. You can also donate to mesothelioma research foundations online, such as Mesothelioma Research Foundation of America or Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization.
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