Peritoneal Cancer, Mesothelioma, Asbestos Lung Cancer & Nanoparticles

He looks up from his notes and says ‘I am sorry, but you have peritoneal cancer’. Those words cut you through to the core. You wonder if he is talking about you, as he is looks straight into your eyes, the words glide from his mouth. It, somehow, doesn’t seem real. You might have heard the word mesothelioma but he may have been talking ga ga as far as you are concerned. You don’t know much, yet, but investigate further. No one told you about nanoparticles or mesothelioma, did they?

This article will show you that there is hope. Research is progressing faster than it ever has done before and treatments are developing at a rate of knots.

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Mesothelioma cancer is caused by asbestos inhalation or, possibly, through some sort of ingestion, although the latter is not known for sure. It can present itself in two ways: the inflammation of the abdomen lining and/or through the lining of the lungs and may have taken 25 – 30 years to develop.

Mesothelioma is an incurable cancer that may have stemmed from working in an industry where asbestos was widely used, particularly in building. This form of cancer is rare in the lungs and rarer in the peritoneum. The super-fine fibres of the asbestos particles seem to act as a foreign body which irritates the lining of the lungs and peritoneum – the body can not absorb or clear the area. This then causes the cancer to develop over time.

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Mesothelioma of the lungs, it is thought, develops through breathing in the asbestos particles, whereas, peritoneal cancer seems to develop through ingestion of foodstuffs. It is thought that its development is a bi-product of washing asbestos infected clothing and, somehow, gets transferred into the digestive system, perhaps through handling washing, for example.

Mesothelioma of the lungs seems to affect those that have had direct contact, whereas mesothelioma of the peritoneum seems to be indirect. However, as a secondary, the affected lung cancer can spread to the abdomen causing secondary peritoneal cancer.

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Peritoneal cancer is hard to diagnose, but when this is formalised, can already be too late. It can present itself similarly to ovarian cancer in women, another cancer that seems to be incurable, with abdominal swelling, nausea and bloating.

Both forms of mesothelioma, pleura cancer and peritoneal cancer, affect the lining. This lining covers the abdomen and lung walls. It is thick with mesothelial cells, blood vessels and lymphatic network. The lining of the combinations of these materials also covers the organs, making ease of movement. It is within the mass of lymph networks that fluid collects.

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To research cancer of this kind can be difficult as it is very rare. However, with the discovery of nanoparticles within the nanotechnology schools, there are developments that create intelligent artificial cells that can attack directly areas of tumours. This research will be trialing soon, which offers hope to many ‘incurable’ cancer conditions.

The researchers suggest that nanoparticle technology could potentially help people with inoperable and difficult cancers. Cancers that are inoperable because they are close to vital organs, for example.

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Dr Lesley Walker on nanoparticle research and technology, from the charity Cancer Research UK, said: "These results are encouraging, and we look forward to seeing if this method can be used to treat cancer in people.

"Gene therapy is an exciting area of research, but targeting genetic changes to cancer cells has been a major challenge.

"This is the first time a solution has been proposed, so it's exciting news." Dated: 10^th March 2009, bbc.co.uk.

It might be that through nanoparticles, mesothelioma of the lungs and peritoneal cancers may become a thing of the past. These encrusted gold nanoparticles could be instructed to invade an affected cancerous area and leave a toxic trail of radiation; thereby killing the cancer but leaving the good tissue in tact. This is presently fantasy but, the evidence suggests, could well become fact.

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© 2010 Shazwellyn - this work is covered under Creative Commons License

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