A very close family member of mine is going through chemotherapy treatment. Let me just tell you that chemo sucks! I tried to find some good news about it to comfort her, but all of it is bad. It’s already kicking her butt. We’re just praying that she survives the dang treatment. Oh yeah, cancer sucks 2! I have lost 2 many people that I love to it already. Well, here’s some garbage I found on chemotherapy:
Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping the cells from dividing. When chemotherapy is taken by mouth or injected into a vein or muscle, the drugs enter the bloodstream and can reach cancer cells throughout the body (systemic chemotherapy). When chemotherapy is placed directly into the spinal column, an organ, or a body cavity such as the abdomen, the drugs mainly affect cancer cells in those areas (regional chemotherapy). The way the chemotherapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated.
Because chemotherapy drugs are usually injected into the blood, they travel around the body and can attack cancer cells regardless of where they find them. For this reason, doctors will use them when they think there might be cancer cells in more than one part of the body. If some cancers have been growing for a while undetected, bits of them can break away from the main tumour and travel to either nearby tissue, or to more distant organs like the liver and lungs – and start growing there.
I was also going to post some info on chemotherapy history, but I’m 2 bummed out right now. I’ll try later.
My grandfather passed away from mesothelioma a few years ago, but to be honest I really don’t know what it is. I mean I know that it’s some form of rare cancer associated with asbestos exposure, but that’s about it. So I decided to look around for some answers. Maybe what I found will help someone else that is wondering the same thing?
The mesothelium is a membrane that covers and protects most of the internal organs of the body. It is composed of two layers of cells: One layer immediately surrounds the organ; the other forms a sac around it. The mesothelium produces a lubricating fluid that is released between these layers, allowing moving organs (such as the beating heart and the expanding and contracting lungs) to glide easily against adjacent structures. Mesothelioma cancer involves this membrane.
Individuals with a history of extended asbestos exposure are at the highest risk for developing malignant mesothelioma. Even a small exposure to this cancer-causing material can result in malignant mesothelioma. However, mesothelioma has a latency of up to thirty-forty years, and many individuals previously exposed to asbestos are now displaying symptoms. This means the average age of mesothelioma patients is between 50 and 70 years. Men are typically affected more, due to the common presence of asbestos in industrial settings. There are three major types of malignant mesothelioma . epithelial, sarcomatoid, and mixed. Epithelial mesothelioma is most common. Cancer centers have been crucial in understanding the disease. Symptoms may include, but are not limited to respiratory distress, a lasting cough, and pneumonia. In addition, symptoms are often mistaken for less serious ailments, and many patients do not show any signs at all.
Despite growing numbers of asbestos-related illness among those who have never worked with asbestos, the majority of people diagnosed with an asbestos-induced disease received exposure in an occupational setting. This is largely due to the likelihood of repeated exposures, as well as elevated levels of exposure, that occur throughout a range of joba, industries, and jobsites.
For those diagnosed with mesothelioma, an asbestos-related cancer of the lining of the lung (pleura) or the lining of the abdominal cavity (peritoneum), finding a credible source of information about the disease itself and the medical options available, is of the highest priority, along with finding a mesothelioma lawyer that can assist you.
