Mesothelioma is a form of cancer which occurs in thin membranes (called the mesothelium) lining the chest, lungs, abdomen and sometimes the heart. Although quite rare, mesothelioma symptoms strike more than 200 people each year in the United States. The majority of mesothelioma cases are directly linked to asbestos exposure. Cancer of this kind is uncommon and rarely is a result of anything other than asbestos exposure. It is also very difficult to diagnose. Tumors of the mesothelieum can be either benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous). Most mesothelial tumors are malignant. However this disease is not very responsive to therapy. Pleural Mesothelioma: is the most common variation of this disease accounting for 80-90% of all cases. Sufferers may experience symptoms like: breathing and swallowing difficulties, shortness of breath, persistent coughing, fever, coughing up of blood, pain in the lower back or the side of the chest, weight loss and rasping. Peritoneal Mesothelioma: This is a rarer form where the cancer affects the stomach and abdomen. The symptoms are: Nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, abdominal swelling, nausea, weight loss and loss of appetite, breathing problems, chest pain, diarrhea or constipation, anemia, fever, and blood clotting abnormalities. Asbestos is a dangerous and potentially deadly substance that was once widely used in a range of items, from ceiling and wall tiles to insulation and auto brakes. It is a soft fibrous mineral, made into fireproof material or used for heat insulation. In the past, most people outside of the industry were totally unaware of the dangers relating to asbestos. However, over recent years the dangers and deadly effects of asbestos have become all too apparent, with more and more cases of the most deadly of these effects - mesothelioma - coming to light every day. However, there are 30-50% of patients without any history of asbestos exposure. People who have received asbestos exposure of as little as one or two months to very low doses are at risk of mesothelioma cancer. Even people who wash clothes of asbestos exposed people are at risk. A person exposed to asbestos could develop mesothelioma after 50 years of exposure. The use of Asbestos dramatically increased during World War II and since the early 1940's millions of Americans have been exposed to asbestos dust working within industries where initally the risks were not known. There has been widespread exposure to Asbestos by workers within shipyards, mines and mills, producers of asbestos products, workers in the heating and construction industries, and other tradespeople and an increase risk of deveolping mesothelioma has been the result. . Many of the homes built prior to 1980s observe acoustic asbestos ceilings, and the removal of acoustic asbestos ceiling has become commonly done for environmental safety precautions. Many homes contain acoustic asbestos ceiling in their bedrooms, living rooms, with spray-applied textures. However, asbestos materials are also in pipe insulation, shingles, floor tile, mastics, roofing, structural steel fireproofing, etc. Workers within shipyards, mines and mills, producers of asbestos products, workers in the heating and construction industries, and other tradespeople have an increased risk of deveolping mesothelioma. Australia now has the highest per capita incidence of mesothelioma in the world. An exciting new treatment that has given hope to mesothelioma victims is called gene therapy. Gene therapy attempts to decipher why proteins within certain cells cause them to be resilient to cancer while some cells do not. There is a new way to treat lung cancer with four-dimensional protons. Sounds way out and kind of science fiction like, but there is some validity to the theory and on-going research. The 4D Proton treatment is different than that of the x-rays traditionally used in radiation type therapies. Protons can potentially obliterate lung tumors without damaging as much localized healthy tissue.

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