Mesothelioma Awareness

Last month, I found some news articles regarding Asbestos contamination of some Korean cosmetics. If you haven't read it, click here. Lately, I've been hearing a lot about asbestos, and the disease that it causes, mesothelioma.

This is definitely alarming considering that we might be using certain products that contain asbestos in it, making us at risk for having the above mentioned disease. So what really is mesothelioma? What are the risk factors? How do you know if you are at risk of having one?

I've been familiar with the term mesothelioma since I'm a Medical student. But let me give you the gist of what the disease is all about, and how important it is to protect ourselves from it.

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is almost always caused by exposures to asbestos. Mesothelium is the thin protective lining that covers our organs. In here, malignant cells develop-- more commonly in pleura (which is the mesothelium of the lungs and upper chest wall), but may also occur in the peritoneum (covering of the abdomen), pericardium (covering of the heart) and tunica vaginalis (covering of the testis).

Symptoms

Shortness of breath, cough, wheezing, hoarseness, and pain in the chest due to an accumulation of fluid in the pleural space are often symptoms of pleural mesothelioma. Blood in the sputum coughed up may also present. While peritoneal mesothelioma may manifest as weight loss and cachexia (muscle wasting), abdominal swelling and pain due to a buildup of fluid in the abdominal cavity (ascites). Other symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma may include bowel obstruction, blood clotting abnormalities, anemia, and fever. If the cancer has spread beyond the mesothelium to other parts of the body, symptoms may include pain, trouble swallowing, or swelling of the neck or face.

In severe cases of the disease, the following signs and symptoms may be present:

• blood clots in the veins, which may cause thrombophlebitis
• disseminated intravascular coagulation, causing severe bleeding in many body organs
• jaundice or yellowing of the sclera of the eyes and skin
• low blood sugar level
• pleural effusion
• blood clots in the arteries of the lungs (blood clots)
• sever ascites
  

Diagnosing mesothelioma is often difficult, because the symptoms are similar to those of a number of other conditions. That is why, if you feel that there is something not normal in your body, do not afraid to consult your physician. He knows what is best for you. Your physician may perform several tests and will take a thorough review on your history. Being exposed to asbestos (job related, etc.) may increase the suspicion of mesothelioma.

Who are at risks?

Working with asbestos is the major risk factor for mesothelioma. Especially when you are exposed for a long time. The duration of exposure, the health status of the person exposed and some other factors are important in the diagnosis. However, mesothelioma has been reported in some individuals without any known exposure to asbestos. In rare cases, mesothelioma has also been associated with irradiation, intrapleural thorium dioxide (Thorotrast), and inhalation of other fibrous silicates, such as erionite.

According to Wikipedia:

Asbestos has been widely used in many industrial products, including cement, brake linings, roof shingles, flooring products, textiles, and insulation. The combination of smoking and asbestos exposure significantly increases a person's risk of developing cancer of the airways (lung cancer, bronchial carcinoma). The Kent brand of cigarettes used asbestos in its filters for the first few years of production in the 1950s and some cases of mesothelioma have resulted. Smoking modern cigarettes does not appear to increase the risk of mesothelioma.

Legal Concerns

Some companies, especially those with asbestos exposure, can be liable if one of their workers will be diagnosed with mesothelioma and other asbestos-related illnesses. I found one of the law firms that handle mesothelioma cases and it says on the website:

Being exposed to asbestos is not your fault. You may have been put in harm's way because of a previous job, a careless employer, or a negligent manufacturing company. If you are suffering from mesothelioma, you may be entitled to financial compensation from the people or companies responsible for your illness. Fighting mesothelioma can be very expensive. Medical care does not come cheap, and there is no price tag on your pain and suffering. For these reasons and more, it may be in your best interests to consider taking legal action against those at fault. (www.mesolawsuit.com)

Take care of your health, and be aware of the products that you are using. We are not just concerned with asbestos. We are concerned of all other chemicals out there that is used by some selfish companies, without even thinking that they can kill lives. More lives will be taken, more children will be abandoned. Sad.

Korean Cosmetics Suspected of Asbestos Contamination

From:
(http://www.maacenter.org/news/korean-cosme...tamination.html)

Korean news sources are reporting that many Korean manufacturers of cosmetics and baby powder may have been contaminated with deadly asbestos.

The Korean Food and Drug Administration will ban the sale of cosmetics suspected of containing talc that has been contaminated by asbestos.

Over 300 cosmetics companies, drug manufacturers, and baby powder companies purchased the tainted talc from Duksan Reagents, which imports more than 20 percent of Korea’s talc.

The director of the Korean Food and Drug Administration has stated that a sales ban will be put in place on all products suspected of contamination as soon as a full list of these companies is compiled and confirmed.A sales ban on drugs suspected of asbestos contamination will be implemented after additional reviews have been conducted.

Talc is used in baby powder, powdered cosmetics such as foundation, and in the manufacturing of medicine to prevent the pills from sticking to each other.

Talc accounts for 70-90 percent of baby powder and 40-50 percent in face powder. The amount of talc found in drugs is under one percent of the weight of a single pill.

Talc is also used in food, such as to prevent chewing gum or candies from sticking to a wrapper. So far, Korean officials have not found any evidence to link the tainted talc to the talc used in the food industry.

While some companies are conducting voluntary recalls of their products, other Korean companies are refusing to accept responsibility. Asbestos exposure is linked to mesothelioma, a cancer that can affect the lining of the lungs, abdomen, and heart.

The Korea Federation for Environmental Movement plans to conduct a consumer damage survey, mobilize plaintiffs, and sue for mental damage against various manufacturers.

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I found this news article while searching for reviews about different Blemish Balm creams, or more popularly known as BB Cream. BB cream is a very popular cosmetic in Asia and as far as I know, it started in Korea. Girls are raving about it and I am dying to try it out one of these days. However, when I saw this article, I think we, as consumers, should be careful in choosing which brands to buy. Also, it is very important that the quality of the product shouldn't be compromised regardless of its price.

I'll be posting about BB creams soon. :)