Cancer Pages Article:
Mesothelioma in the UK
Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that affects the external lining of the lungs (pleura) and the lower digestive tract (peritoneum). The disease has been linked to exposure with asbestos dust. 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.
Between a person's first exposure to asbestos and the onset of this disease can be anywhere from 15- 60 years. By the time symptoms first appear and the cancer is diagnosed, the disease is often in its advanced stage. The average survival time is one to two years. If found early enough almost half of the patients reach the two year mark and approximately twenty percent survive five years.
Symptoms of malignant mesothelioma include shortness of breath, abdominal pain, a persistent cough, fever, sweating, fatigue, weight loss, nausea, muscle weakness, pain in the lower back or side of the chest and sensory loss. Many people mistake the symptoms of this disease for other common everyday ailments and do not seek treatment.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) published statistics regarding work related mesothelioma deaths in the UK, spanning the years 1981- 2000. The study was published in 2003. The statistics showed that the highest rates of mesothelioma deaths in men were in West Dumbartonshire, Barrow-in-Furness, Plymouth, Portsmouth and South Tyneside, which were areas that were involved in shipbuilding, thus the high incidence of asbestos.
Other areas, which were considered high risk, were areas that were situated close to, or contained railway engineering sites. These areas included Crewe, Eastleigh and Nantwich. Also high risk was Barking, Dagenham and Newham, which housed factories that made asbestos products.
The mortality rate for mesothelioma related deaths showed higher in men than in women. The average for women was approximately fifteen percent of the annual deaths due to this disease. The results for women were considered less reliable but showed the following: the areas with the greatest incidence of death for women included Barking and Dagenham (because of asbestos factories), Sunderland (manufacturing and shipbuilding) and Blackburn with Darwen (gas masks were manufactured in this region during the war).
* The statistics for this study are available on the HSE website which can be found at http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/causdis/area8100.pdf.
Anika Logan is a freelance writer and librarian who writes on a variety of topics including fashion and beauty, food and dining, entertainment, weddings, writing, home improvements and alternative medicine. She is new contributor to http://www.mesothelioma-24-7.com.
Related Cancer News and Articles From ezinearticles.com
Cancer can occur in many areas of the body and behaves differently depending on its type and origin. Cancer consists of more than 100 different diseases, all characterized by the uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells. Cancer is a major health problem in North America, striking an estimated 1.4 million people a year and rising. It strikes men, women and children in every country of the world and it is the second leading cause of death in the United States.
People often think that cancer is due to fate or predetermined by your genes. Cancer may have a genetic predisposition, but it is not fate that causes cancer.
There are worrying trends of increased testicular cancer cases in the last few decades. Luckily, recent advances mean that it is highly treatable. But why is there an increase in the first place? In this article, I'll give you an idea of how cryptochordism, low fertility, environmental factors and the western lifestyle all have a part to play.
The best way to treat cancer is to do everything you can to avoid getting the disease in the first place. Studies show that our immune system is a key component to protecting our body, so why not learn how your can protect your immune system. Emerging medical evidence shows that a practice of daily meditation can actually improve your immune system. Learn the benefits of meditation and the power it has to keep you healthy!
As a cancer victim myself, I have been inundated with all sorts of "support" from friends, relatives and others not so familiar. These efforts to support me came in all sorts of forms from "advice" to pity. While all forms were sincere and well meaning, they were not all equal in the support area.
