This story illustrates a number of the more sinister aspects of the whole mesothelioma story

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer in which malignant (cancerous) cells are found in the mesothelium, a protective sac that covers most of the body's internal organs. Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles. 

In his article called Knee Deep in Asbestos - http://www.mesotheliomaadvisors.com/2.html - freelance writer Phil Jones relates how when he was a teenager he worked for a brief time in an asbestos mine in the Yukon. One of the features of daily life was the constant presence of asbestos dust in the air. As Jones writes, 

"There were employees that worked in the mill whose sole job was to sweep up the dust that fell on the floor. There was so much of it that this was a constant ongoing job. The asbestos dust in the mill actually fell almost like snow and covered the floor completely. Without sweepers there would probably have been several inches of asbestos dust on the floor within an hour or so. In fact, I remember seeing sweepers go by pushing their wide brooms and the new dust settling onto the floor behind them as they walked." 

This story illustrates a number of the more sinister aspects of the whole mesothelioma story. 

First, over the course of many decades, countless workers were placed in work environments where they were exposed to high levels of asbestos fibre with little protection. Their exposure to asbestos fibres was constant and often took place over a very long period of time - in most cases, over many years. 

Second, the owners and managers of these work places were often either unaware of the risk of mesothelioma, or they actively attempted to hide or cover up those risks. 

Third, since the effects of exposure to asbestos fibre often do not become apparent for 30 or 40 years after prolonged exposure, there often appeared to be no immediate health risk in these work environments. This made it very difficult for workers or their representatives to make a convincing case that worker health was being sacrificed on the altar of corporate profits.

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Mesothelioma. What Exactly Is ?

Mesothelioma the medical name for cancer of the lung or the abdomen lining, and is usually caused by exposure to asbestos.

Asbestos is a type of building material used in thermal insulation products and ceiling tiles. Asbestos usage peaked during the 1950s - 1970s, but during the late 1960s, concerns over the health consequences of asbestos exposure began to arise, thereby decreasing the amount of asbestos manufactured over the following two decades. But even though new measures where brought in to get rid of it, many schools and public buildings still contain asbestos.

Small asbestos fibers that enter the air do not evaporate and can remain suspended in the air for a long time. These fibers, when breathed into the body, are toxic. The people most at risk are :-

People working in factories that manufacture asbestos are likely to have a high exposure to asbestos and are most at risk of developing asbestosis or mesothelioma.

Family members of workers exposed to asbestos in the workplace are susceptible to exposure from asbestos dust brought home by the worker on his clothes or skin.

Those who live in the vicinity of an asbestos manufacturing plant are also at risk.

Symptoms of mesothelioma may not appear until between twenty and fifty years after exposure, which explains why so many new cases of this form of cancer are coming to light now. Many people who haven't been in contact with asbestos for decades, are now showing symptoms of this dreadful desease.

As with many forms of cancer, mesothelioma can spread rapidly. Symptoms include shortness of breath, coughing, loss of weight, and chest pains. If it is diagnosed early enough, the tumor can be surgically removed, and with chemotherapy and radiation treatment, a full recovery is often possible.

However, in more advanced cases, cure is usually not possible. In such cases, chemotherapy and radiation treatment can be used alongside other pain relief treatments, to ease the symptoms. Where cure is not possible, the average survival time is between four and eighteen months, depending on the stage of the tumor and the general health of the patient.

I was prompted to write about mesothelioma because as a child I lived near a factory which produced asbestos, and I personally know families who have suffered due to this terrible desease.

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Your genetic composition can make you susceptible to some types of cancer

Food helps us by supplying many vital micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals. Your genetic composition can make you susceptible to some types of cancer. Your way of eating plays a major role in increasing or reducing the risk of cancer.

Phytochemicals are non-nutritive substances found in plants. They protect us against diseases when they are in our body. Isoflavones and Lycopene are phytochemicals.

Isoflavones decrease the risk of breast cancer for premenopausal women, while Lycopene decreases the prostate cancer risk in middle aged men.

Soya is a great source of Isoflavones like genisteinm and daidzein. Although isoflavones are weak estrogens, the established hypothesis has been that isoflavones exert antiestrogenic effects when placed in a high-estrogen environment (pre-menopausal women) and estrogenic effects when in a low-estrogen environment, (post-menopausal women).

Daidzein was found to inhibit the growth of cancer cells in many studies.

Genistein:

• Reduces the protective mechanisms of cancer cells.
• Acts as an antioxidant.
• Inhibits several enzymes in cellular signaling pathways.
• Increases levels of transforming growth factor-beta' that inhibits the growth of tumor cells.
• Inhibits the growth of wide range of both hormone-dependent and hormone-independent cancer cells.

Decreased rates of breast, uterus and prostate cancers are associated with Soya consumption because of its antiestrogenic action.

Lycopenes:

• Tomatoes, watermelon and other orange-to-red colored vegetables and fruits like
• paprika, rose-hips etc. contain abundant lycopenes. A better level of Lycopene is
• produced from tomatoes when they cooked with olive or canola oil.

Lycopenes are natural carotenoids that act as antioxidants. They also block the conversion of food mutagens found in fried, cooked meats and fish in the form of heterocyclic amines.

Lycopenes are good inhibitors of cell proliferation and lower the oxidation of LDL-cholesterol thus minimizing the heart disease risk.

Lycopenes reduce the risk for stomach, breast, colon, lung and prostate cancer. Both raw and cooked tomatoes have same amount of cancer fighting power. Lycopenes stimulate the enzymes that block the carcinogenic damage to the cell.

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