All Pericardial Mesothelioma Information Faq

What is pericardial mesothelioma?

Pericardial mesothelioma is a serious heart condition which consists of cancerous cells building up on the lining of the heart. Similarly to pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma, this is a terminal illness due to the importance of the area on which it grows.

What causes pericardial mesothelioma and who are most at risk?

The primary cause of pericardial mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos dust and fibres. Therefore those at risk are those who are most likely to have inhaled these deadly fibres such as construction workers and asbestos manufacturers. Those in contact with these people also have a chance of getting pericardial mesothelioma because these people may have asbestos fibres stuck to their clothes or hair.

What are the symptoms of pericardial mesothelioma?

The symptoms of pericardial mesothelioma change from patient to patient. Usual symptoms include persistent coughing, coughing up blood, shortness of breath, chest pain and palpitations. Other symptoms patients may experience are nausea, weight loss, vomiting and loss of appetite.

What are the treatments available for pericardial mesothelioma?

There are various different treatments for pericardial mesothelioma although none of these have a high success rate. Chemotherapy, radiation therapy, dual therapy and surgery are the treatment methods available. Chemotherapy includes using drugs to kill off cancerous cells and radiation therapy uses doses of radiation to kill cancer cells although this is difficult in the case of pericardial mesothelioma due to the surrounding vital organs such as the heart and lungs. Dual therapy is a treatment combining radiation therapy with chemotherapy. Surgery comes in two forms; aggressive surgery and palliative procedures. Aggressive surgery is a very difficult procedure and consists of removing large chunks of cancerous cells in an attempt to gain long term control over the cancer. Palliative procedures just attempts to lessen the symptoms for the patient.

How much exposure to asbestos is needed for there to be a possibility of getting pericardial mesothelioma?

This depends on how strong and resistant the person is to disease and on the concentration of asbestos in the environment around him. It is possible to get pericardial mesothelioma from as little as a couple of months of exposure to asbestos although on average it would take a couple of years for enough asbestos fibres to build up to cause cancer.

What is the prognosis for pericardial mesothelioma?

This is highly dependent on how early and how aggressively the cancer is treated. If pericardial mesothelioma is treated when it has fully developed and matured then the chances of a patient’s survival is very small. The prognosis could be only a couple of months.

Is there any promising research into cures for pericardial mesothelioma?

Research into cures of pericardial mesothelioma and all other forms of mesothelioma is being done in numerous research labs all over the USA. Many pharmaceutical companies are also working hard to research new drugs for chemotherapy. So far, research has been mostly unsuccessful.

A look into adult canine stem cell research

A look into adult canine stem cell research, just like any other stem cell research, often raises controversy and draws the line between scientific breakthroughs and the raising of eyebrows among skeptics.



At the turn of the century, stem cell research, has become one of the most controversial and celebrated events in the history of the world.



From the research laboratories where tests and experimentations are conducted, down to the streets filled with protesters hoping to stop stem cell experiments or those pushing for ethical principles behind the experiments, stem cell research has by far been the most talked about topic in scientific history.



Although much has been said about many innovative breakthroughs in harnessing the power of stem cells, stem cell research still has a long way to go.



With breakthroughs achieved, allowing adult canine stem cells to be used in treatment of a variety of diseases among dogs, still further intensive studies are being conducted since many scientists believe that stem cell therapy holds the promise of radically changing the way canine diseases are being treated.



For example, adult canine stem cells are currently gaining widespread use for treatment and therapy, as well as not posing any medical danger to the patient, since findings have already been established about the regenerative and renewal properties of the adult canine stem cell without destructive or damaging side effects.



Adult canine stem cells, also called somatic stem cells, are found throughout the dog’s body and has been linked to the healing properties of living organisms like for example, the ability of the skin to regenerate after it has been injured or the ability of regenerating human tissues due to wear and tear.



Theoretically, with findings on recent stem cell research, scientists believe that it may lead the way to addressing better treatment and therapy of certain types of muscle damage, even cancer, as well as with varied forms of tissue or organ impairments and other medical conditions – both treatable and what may have been thought of as untreatable.



Regardless of the benefits of stem cell research and its medical breakthroughs, however, controversies are still rife since the process of obtaining a canine embryonic stem cell for experimentation.



Deriving an active embryonic stem cell line through therapeutic cloning would require destroying a canine embryo, since many oppositionists to stem cell research argue that this is a similar process to reproductive cloning and is no less an ethical question why the need to subject the life of a living organism to become an instrument of science.



Proponents, however, insist that the pursuit of medical breakthroughs and scientific experiments on the embryonic stem cell is only limited to embryonic samples that are already subject for destruction resulting from in vitro fertilization.



This argument, however, is also being countered by pro-life movers who insist that despite of the process, an embryo is still a living organism, thus has the right to life regardless of the fact that it is already subject for destruction.



The never-ending battle between good and evil is seemingly manifested in stem cell research, since it has created a contrasting atmosphere of animosity and excitement over findings resulting from these researches from various sectors, and will continue to face social and ethical challenges for all sectors concerned.



All the same, a look into adult canine stem cell research – regardless of the challenges it faces- will continue to provide answers and pave the way for more breakthroughs ahead.