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This article was written to answer many of the most frequently asked questions on the subject of bone scans. If you have chronic back pain, a bone scan may be one of the scarier tests that you may undergo, but it is actually a fairly safe and relatively painless procedure. First off, what is a bone scan? Simply put it's a study done to show problem spots on the spine. A radioactive chemical, sometimes called a "tracer", is injected into the bloodstream. The chemical quickly attaches itself to... Read Full Story

The best method of preventing mesothelioma is to avoid or limit exposure to asbestos. People who might experience asbestos exposure at work include miners, insulation manufacturers, construction workers, ship builders, and factory workers. Read Full Story

A person with symptoms of mesothelioma will most likely seek help from a primary physician initially. During the diagnostic phase, various technicians will perform the imaging studies. A specially trained physician—a thoracic surgeon or, rarely, a pulmonologist— performs other diagnostic tests like pleural biopsy and thoracoscopy. A pathologist will view the tissue samples and make the tissue diagnosis. Following diagnosis, the patient will be offered some form of treatment, which may entail... Read Full Story

Diagnosing mesothelioma is often difficult, because the symptoms are similar to those of a number of other conditions. Diagnosis begins with a review of the patient's medical history. A history of occupational exposure to asbestos may increase clinical suspicion for mesothelioma. A doctor should be seen if a person experiences shortness of breath, chest pain, or pain or swelling in the abdomen. If these symptoms are present, the doctor may order an x ray of the abdomen or chest. The doctor... Read Full Story

Symptoms of mesothelioma may not appear until 30 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos. Shortness of breath and pain in the chest due to an accumulation of fluid in the pleural space are often symptoms of pleural mesothelioma. Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include weight loss and cachexia, abdominal swelling and pain due to ascites (a buildup of fluid in the abdominal cavity). Other symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma may include bowel obstruction, blood clotting abnormalities, anemia... Read Full Story

In the chest and abdominal cavities, as well as in the cavity around the heart (pericardial sac), there is a layer of specialized cells called mesothelial cells. These cells also surround the outer surface of most internal organs. These cells form tissue called mesothelium. The mesothelium performs a protective function for the internal organs by producing a lubricating fluid that permits the organs to move around. For example, this fluid makes it easier for the lungs to move inside the chest... Read Full Story

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer. In mesothelioma, malignant cells are found in the sac lining of the chest (the pleura) or the abdomen (the peritoneum). In this disease, malignant (cancerous) cells develop in the mesothelium, a protective lining that covers most of the body's internal organs. Its most common site is the pleura (outer lining of the lungs and chest cavity), but it may also occur in the peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity) or the pericardium (a sac that... Read Full Story

The cosmetic surgery known as liposuction, often called lipoplasty and liposculpture, is an operation to remove fat from various sites on the human body. During this procedure the patient's fat is removed from under the skin with the use of a vacuum-suction canula or using an ultrasonic probe that breaks up the fat into tiny pieces which is then removed via suction. The liposuction surgery is suggested as an alternative to proper exercise and diet or to be used as a weight loss method. Since... Read Full Story

Mesothelioma - In the past, many of us had never heard of the word. Tragically, due to the ever growing list of innocent people who have lost their lives due to it, we now know that mesothelioma is caused by the inhalation of asbestos dust and that many years may pass between inhalation and onset of disease. With no known cure presently available, the shock of receiving a mesothelioma diagnosis is intensified by prognosis, fear of the unknown and pain associated with this disease. My husband... Read Full Story

Synonyms and related keywords: mesothelioma, asbestos-related cancer, cancer of the pleura, asbestos exposure, plural cancer, malignant mesothelioma, mesothelioma malignancy, pleural malignant mesothelioma, lung cancer, lung tumor, pulmonary cancer, pulmonary tumor, pulmonary malignancy, sarcomatous mesothelioma, epithelial mesothelioma, mixed mesothelioma, pleural mesothelioma. Read Full Story