The variety of services that can be offered by the World Wide Web (Internet) payment of government institutions and businesses should work when building their internal local area to make it compatible features and infrastructure-and strategic-Altekenekeh to qualify to connect to the Internet. However, the association with such extensive network posing new challenges might not give those institutions importance deserves, which may lead to the melting of information and confidential data between the fingers of some inquisitive, snipers and universally known as “Hackers.”
That connectivity, or any other external networks is a natural line with what the world is witnessing of important changes for the exchange of electronic information. It provided all institutions, networks and Internet services internal e-mail to exchange information between the staff and other foreign To achieve full readiness of the Internet era when he says loudly, However, the hacker has become a place where open mining on the information and burying their noses long cursing anything on the Internet, will come out of the network in the event of penetration unless satisfied arrogance access to confidential information or trade conventions of that institution.
Acting some quarters regrettably, the security of information is only part of the “traditional” in the structure of the network, and devices and programs that protect the network from intrusions by the complement to the traditional side, forgetting that the structure of any network based on long experience, The literature and research and studies very many and complex technical projects in the area of networks, all coalesce to make a note of new networks we perceive and comprehend and understand it correctly. It did not stand on a small hill announcing that its ability to development and modernization, but is continuing to provide new every day which makes him great credibility and great interest in various circles computer. The evolution of data networks succeed in science, the search for loopholes and gaps that may appear but is subject to continuous updating, which is also expecting a devastating war between us - friends network - and friends unwanted They Alhakers. So that means hostilities also evolve with us and the Internet arena actual war.
Therefore, information security has become a “tradition” according to some rumors, or what might be published by some newspapers, magazines and others specializing in network security specifically. But should it calls “evolutionary” and understood very well that I was assigned by the President of the Foundation, which operates the care its own security network.
Talking on the topic to the first point, which does not give sufficient attention when building network with the knowledge that they must be on top of the list, and is a “valuation” or evaluation, we must work on the assessment of the electronic properties Foundation which we work, and develop a clear security lines and features based on this evaluation, and summed up the process in countless electronic data relating to the company and resting places in the organizational structure and ways to move from one place to another in the same institution, and determining the powers of access, and thus begin to sketch the outlines of the network security first, then move to the opposite side in the evaluation process, and is part of the Internet, where we know the needs of the institution in which we work from the services provided by the Internet, and what is the actual need of such services that might need it, Will allows employees full Internet browsing? Are there sites will be prohibited on the staff of the institution to achieve protection of the sites that throws Files espionage and viruses? Or simply browsing to e-mail? How are security control incoming messages to the network, especially as it easiest ways to spread viruses? Conversely, is there data on the internal network wishing to participate with others using the Internet? For example : your company has no branches around the world has Clavk Msaulk direct exchange of information among themselves, Are you fully aware of this? Because the slightest mistake may submit such information to intruders on a gold platter.
After the completion of a project to extend internal network in the enterprise, and after that believes that things are going well and see the smile on your boss a clear and direct what I have done to secure the site, took the opportunity and ask him this proposal, which I think it is important to add to the “important points to build a network” and summarized the proposal at the meeting for all employees in the institution of the lecture “technical” on the occasion of the introduction of the new network, She explains at length move by the Center for Information Systems for the introduction of local area network services, which would benefit the employee and the institution together and ways to maximize those services, then move to the point of security and protection in the new network and gravity data exchange and information from the internal network to the Internet, As emphasis is placed on maintaining the password used by the employee to enter the network. The definition of employee is also correct procedures to be taken when the suspected presence of an interloper long poke his nose inside the network, so underestimate the least amount of risk, It should not frighten employee in the event of loss of data files or special institution during the conversation other people on the Internet because it will not recognize that the future employee exposures at the same event. The team of technical information institution-and perhaps you are one of them - must be fully aware of actions to be taken when confronted with these incidents because we are talking here about information security.
To identify and understand the output strategy “valuation” or evaluation is a very important means to identify destinations Foundation funds are spent to protect the security of information, and for more information on this aspect, I recommend you see the Site Security Handbook issued by the Group Network Working Group of the Internet Engineering Task Force.
Success in achieving security policy incomplete estimate the financial cost may need to educate staff in the institution because the employee others cultured technically and technology institution will carry huge financial burdens-loss may be capable of bankruptcy institution that commercial, or officials submitted their resignations to the other - in the event of a breach of security procedures for the network, and that the institution must appoint a technical adviser specializing in information security and networks to provide consulting help in taking appropriate decisions based on an institution’s needs. and dealing with the full knowledge of the hacking potential security of the network to access data while the institution was deep in sleep Carefree. We must work to correct this rapid Counsel for the network if any, programs operating programs such as firewalls and encryption information Firewalls Encryption and legitimacy to get information and Authentications needs addendum report which may require the institution. The protection network and information security and data security will direct Msaulk desired to be achieved before him to fall asleep.
NOTE: This is a machine translation.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Deletion of the deleted
We can treat the subject of this week over what has been talk in the last week, on the sale of official information through the disposal of old computers that were used in the home or place of business for your files contain special stored in CD solid, so that I finally deleted, it can be retrieved for the presence of these programs can recover deleted files, which I mentioned in the relevant subject. Accordingly, I received mailings from our male viewers focused on the possibility of finding an effective way to delete files from the computer until finally could not recover again.
Just as there are specialized programs in restoring deleted files, there are programs that also function to delete computer files deleted from the final and full, or at least this is what I found when tested one of these programs myself. One of those specialized programs to delete - and-burn to transfer files final program Active @ ZDelete produced by the company LSoft Technologies and its web site (www.zdelete.com) When using this program to delete files and attempt to retrieve again surprised that the file retrieved empty of any data or information. and not exceed more than a small icon. The possibilities for the program is stronger than imagined, where many of the functions that preserve privacy and confidentiality in the computer in order not to allow the diversion of your personal or professional to other persons, but the effects that licked all in your computer files began opening my work and passing titles and Internet sites that Tesfahtha full survey and the end of the CD steel advantage thanks “scanner CD-ROM” (Integrated Disk Wiper) because it is based scan files, Allsoaqat (drives) and volumes, remnants of the Internet addresses of web sites visited previously, with the impossibility of restoring any of those data subsequently This means that any person will not be able to know what I play during easily on the Internet. The “scanner CD-ROM makes the possibility of restoring the deleted files impossible, and to confirm that the program is released during Meseleth full use of burning files through a letter presented to you is impossible to recover files after the survey complete. And the company has succeeded in producing it conformed to the specifications of cleaning and sterilization set by the Department of Defense for information to be kept in storage equipment solid CD also alleges the company producing it. Also, the use of the advantage of the full survey of the steel CD helps you to recover a significant proportion of the area of disk that are busy deleted files that have been previously raised and still exist.
The program marked with an easy user-normal All that was needed was the English language is simple, Alantha After the nomination process will wizard which helps you to identify your options wishing to be carried out by the program, click the button next to move to the window to identify options for the survey, from here tell the things that wish to dispose of them at every operation of the program. Next, we turn to the next window asking you to determine which files or folders want to delete full with the impossibility of restoring subsequently using programs to restore deleted files, for example, there you have a photo wish burning final hard disk, or a volume containing the files secret wish to dispose of them safely, you can add here to convert them to ashes stateless benefit, then comes next window asks us identify driving (Driver), which we cleaned using a “compact disk scanner” where they will be burning all the files that previously Hamvenaha since bought a computer, and we we will restore the area occupied by those old files. We come then to the window recent determine where some instructions for the program, such as showing confirmation message deletion, and determining the appropriate level of safety for the deletion of the files that we have identified.
After all, we go to the list of programs and find the volume contains a set of icons, put pressure on the icon ZDelete Auto-Cleaner even begin the process of cleaning and sterilization of a computer according to the information we have made since shortly and the program will automatically everything, with the caveat that in using the program for the first time would take a long time up to more than an hour until the end of its work, especially when it comes to the stage Wiping a stage full survey and the final CD steel remnants of deleted files, also not surprised by the message that Windows would show that it was after a period of the work program that the area of the hard disk has been fully exhausted, ignored that letter and things will run their natural form. After the completion of the work program, you should ensure that all your files have been burnt once restoration programs using one of the deleted files, in addition to verification of the increase hard disk space for notes difference in the area, It also recommended that the area recorded in the paper before the process of cleaning or burning, and then I promise you that you will see which surprised.
Abstract talk, I am fully confident that strong programs in its work, and more confidence is getting awards in the field of perhaps the most important work of the Microsoft Corporation as found on the Company’s web site, and no doubt that experts Defense Service Medal of the American experience and expertise to evaluate these programs, but the possibility of a single file from the personal computer in the hands of malevolent enough to alter the course of human life. In any case, the company producing ratified allegations of this program will be good option to delete files deleted.
NOTE: This is a machine translation.
Just as there are specialized programs in restoring deleted files, there are programs that also function to delete computer files deleted from the final and full, or at least this is what I found when tested one of these programs myself. One of those specialized programs to delete - and-burn to transfer files final program Active @ ZDelete produced by the company LSoft Technologies and its web site (www.zdelete.com) When using this program to delete files and attempt to retrieve again surprised that the file retrieved empty of any data or information. and not exceed more than a small icon. The possibilities for the program is stronger than imagined, where many of the functions that preserve privacy and confidentiality in the computer in order not to allow the diversion of your personal or professional to other persons, but the effects that licked all in your computer files began opening my work and passing titles and Internet sites that Tesfahtha full survey and the end of the CD steel advantage thanks “scanner CD-ROM” (Integrated Disk Wiper) because it is based scan files, Allsoaqat (drives) and volumes, remnants of the Internet addresses of web sites visited previously, with the impossibility of restoring any of those data subsequently This means that any person will not be able to know what I play during easily on the Internet. The “scanner CD-ROM makes the possibility of restoring the deleted files impossible, and to confirm that the program is released during Meseleth full use of burning files through a letter presented to you is impossible to recover files after the survey complete. And the company has succeeded in producing it conformed to the specifications of cleaning and sterilization set by the Department of Defense for information to be kept in storage equipment solid CD also alleges the company producing it. Also, the use of the advantage of the full survey of the steel CD helps you to recover a significant proportion of the area of disk that are busy deleted files that have been previously raised and still exist.
The program marked with an easy user-normal All that was needed was the English language is simple, Alantha After the nomination process will wizard which helps you to identify your options wishing to be carried out by the program, click the button next to move to the window to identify options for the survey, from here tell the things that wish to dispose of them at every operation of the program. Next, we turn to the next window asking you to determine which files or folders want to delete full with the impossibility of restoring subsequently using programs to restore deleted files, for example, there you have a photo wish burning final hard disk, or a volume containing the files secret wish to dispose of them safely, you can add here to convert them to ashes stateless benefit, then comes next window asks us identify driving (Driver), which we cleaned using a “compact disk scanner” where they will be burning all the files that previously Hamvenaha since bought a computer, and we we will restore the area occupied by those old files. We come then to the window recent determine where some instructions for the program, such as showing confirmation message deletion, and determining the appropriate level of safety for the deletion of the files that we have identified.
After all, we go to the list of programs and find the volume contains a set of icons, put pressure on the icon ZDelete Auto-Cleaner even begin the process of cleaning and sterilization of a computer according to the information we have made since shortly and the program will automatically everything, with the caveat that in using the program for the first time would take a long time up to more than an hour until the end of its work, especially when it comes to the stage Wiping a stage full survey and the final CD steel remnants of deleted files, also not surprised by the message that Windows would show that it was after a period of the work program that the area of the hard disk has been fully exhausted, ignored that letter and things will run their natural form. After the completion of the work program, you should ensure that all your files have been burnt once restoration programs using one of the deleted files, in addition to verification of the increase hard disk space for notes difference in the area, It also recommended that the area recorded in the paper before the process of cleaning or burning, and then I promise you that you will see which surprised.
Abstract talk, I am fully confident that strong programs in its work, and more confidence is getting awards in the field of perhaps the most important work of the Microsoft Corporation as found on the Company’s web site, and no doubt that experts Defense Service Medal of the American experience and expertise to evaluate these programs, but the possibility of a single file from the personal computer in the hands of malevolent enough to alter the course of human life. In any case, the company producing ratified allegations of this program will be good option to delete files deleted.
NOTE: This is a machine translation.
Official information .. For sale
The theme of today’s important that it must be consulted by all brothers and sisters, dear readers for computer users in their homes or places of work, today’s topic affects everyone, without exception, although it varies in each case, and we will understand the significance of this phrase in the context of the modern next.
The computer was able to impose itself on all the scenarios that we live life daily, bringing present in the house to store our files Angazaemalena and personal correspondence, such as private or family photos, and in the duty to regulate administrative work and the completion of official correspondence mandated, and of course, to preserve the privacy of information stored in the device is the first of interests, especially in the workplace, and the more important that you work in the relevant section of the wallet on the security of information on the Foundation works, as a service operations in the commercial banks, for example, Office of the President or the Board of Directors of the custom-government head of the Office of the President or the Office unit-security institution, which means secret dealings and security coordination between your business and other institutions in the State. But perhaps you are working in an institution specializing primarily in keeping the internal or external security of the country. If you are one of those who reminded them or you Msalai on information technology in your business, I invite you to continue reading.
It is known that most private institutions and organizations using computers in almost all its dealings, and different kind of importance - and-such transactions depending on the activity of the institution and its strategy, and will be replacing those devices at periodic intervals beginning of the year and extend to five years at most. and prior to the disposal of the old computers are all survey data and files stored in the body such internal and external reports and regular and periodic strategic and statistics, and then to be sold to the public or to companies specializing in the purchase of scrap in auctions normally. Where buyers cleaned those devices and rehabilitation again for resale, or used for spare parts to repair other organs. All of this is happening with no attention that there is a time bomb that exploded were planted in those organs, f is a hard disk (Hard Disk) because many of the users - and perhaps some specialists in computer - also do not know that everything is stored in the body remains slouched in place and can be removed, If you dear reader believe that once it was unloading trash from deleted files will be safe from hackers will be mistaken or in other words has been Khaddaak so, because the bitter truth and logical says, “that deleted files can not be deleted from the hard disk final” .. Yes Dear .. Are not delete any file from the never, and I mean, it could restore those files deleted from the circle and easy Trash through specialized programs such as File Recovery and Active @ UNDELETE and MagicRecovery and long list of programs that are used for this purpose, Some even so strong retrieves files that have been deleted once by creating Harddisk, which defines the process Format, and even that was divided Harddisk (Partition) to the various parts and re-assembled again, or change spaces each section authorized sum, All Mahaullack desperate to delete your files final will fail. In order for us to clear idea more we understand the way in which the operating system to get rid of the files that were deleted in :
Windows is a volume called Hidden RECYCLED be on the path C : / RECYCLED terms of the volume used for the transfer of files from the wastepaper basket found in Windows after that the filling of the files that were previously deleted, thus Ahamk those files that have been disposed of definitively. Since the computer does not have the estimated logical to get rid of files final, Kntherha in the air, for example, or evaporating temperature. Then all your files exist in the hard disk. Perhaps I will be here this question : “When do I delete files from the others using the area of the hard disk increase, So how others using more space if we assume that the file is still in the hard disk and specifically in volume RECYCLED? “We must know that Windows is the removal characteristics file, and does not remove its contents, characters differ from the file contents. they are the additions will be made to the structure and composition of the file so that Windows distinguish between types of files individually and learn the appropriate program for the operation. Do you think that the process is complex? Well .. I will explain in more detail : the file contains Microsoft Word-for example - usually on two important First : the contents of the file, which is all words and figures and characters that have been stored in the document, the second part is the characteristics of the file, f is a software additions to be included in the file so that the operating system to this type of file and determine the appropriate program for the operation-and the program is appropriate here is Microsoft Word course - when unloading trash from the files deleted by Windows remove those characteristics remain content retains its place. And through programs that I mentioned earlier can be installed until the missing part can be returned to its natural resources. And to emphasize what has been mentioned, it is noticeable that you lose part of the area of the hard disk after every operation to create, and does not get the full disk space, and more loss of the area after each process of creating. Did you notice this before?
Some institutions that offsetting this security problem earlier work some strict measures to get rid of the hard disk so that destroy information stored by the final, where they are out those old disk devices before they are offered for sale, and then heavy bales composting and incineration completely, and in the last phase adding ash resulting from the combustion process until liquid chemical material melts forever.
I think that what has been mentioned has become aware that information security and data confidentiality extends even after the disposal of devices and equipment that you deal with them, but I became convinced that there was a time bomb was planted in the old computers were sold in the last auction, and explode the bomb once that someone is deliberately in the retrieval of the data to achieve the goals may be fatal. Why would they sell your information after official now?
NOTE: This is a machine translation.
The computer was able to impose itself on all the scenarios that we live life daily, bringing present in the house to store our files Angazaemalena and personal correspondence, such as private or family photos, and in the duty to regulate administrative work and the completion of official correspondence mandated, and of course, to preserve the privacy of information stored in the device is the first of interests, especially in the workplace, and the more important that you work in the relevant section of the wallet on the security of information on the Foundation works, as a service operations in the commercial banks, for example, Office of the President or the Board of Directors of the custom-government head of the Office of the President or the Office unit-security institution, which means secret dealings and security coordination between your business and other institutions in the State. But perhaps you are working in an institution specializing primarily in keeping the internal or external security of the country. If you are one of those who reminded them or you Msalai on information technology in your business, I invite you to continue reading.
It is known that most private institutions and organizations using computers in almost all its dealings, and different kind of importance - and-such transactions depending on the activity of the institution and its strategy, and will be replacing those devices at periodic intervals beginning of the year and extend to five years at most. and prior to the disposal of the old computers are all survey data and files stored in the body such internal and external reports and regular and periodic strategic and statistics, and then to be sold to the public or to companies specializing in the purchase of scrap in auctions normally. Where buyers cleaned those devices and rehabilitation again for resale, or used for spare parts to repair other organs. All of this is happening with no attention that there is a time bomb that exploded were planted in those organs, f is a hard disk (Hard Disk) because many of the users - and perhaps some specialists in computer - also do not know that everything is stored in the body remains slouched in place and can be removed, If you dear reader believe that once it was unloading trash from deleted files will be safe from hackers will be mistaken or in other words has been Khaddaak so, because the bitter truth and logical says, “that deleted files can not be deleted from the hard disk final” .. Yes Dear .. Are not delete any file from the never, and I mean, it could restore those files deleted from the circle and easy Trash through specialized programs such as File Recovery and Active @ UNDELETE and MagicRecovery and long list of programs that are used for this purpose, Some even so strong retrieves files that have been deleted once by creating Harddisk, which defines the process Format, and even that was divided Harddisk (Partition) to the various parts and re-assembled again, or change spaces each section authorized sum, All Mahaullack desperate to delete your files final will fail. In order for us to clear idea more we understand the way in which the operating system to get rid of the files that were deleted in :
Windows is a volume called Hidden RECYCLED be on the path C : / RECYCLED terms of the volume used for the transfer of files from the wastepaper basket found in Windows after that the filling of the files that were previously deleted, thus Ahamk those files that have been disposed of definitively. Since the computer does not have the estimated logical to get rid of files final, Kntherha in the air, for example, or evaporating temperature. Then all your files exist in the hard disk. Perhaps I will be here this question : “When do I delete files from the others using the area of the hard disk increase, So how others using more space if we assume that the file is still in the hard disk and specifically in volume RECYCLED? “We must know that Windows is the removal characteristics file, and does not remove its contents, characters differ from the file contents. they are the additions will be made to the structure and composition of the file so that Windows distinguish between types of files individually and learn the appropriate program for the operation. Do you think that the process is complex? Well .. I will explain in more detail : the file contains Microsoft Word-for example - usually on two important First : the contents of the file, which is all words and figures and characters that have been stored in the document, the second part is the characteristics of the file, f is a software additions to be included in the file so that the operating system to this type of file and determine the appropriate program for the operation-and the program is appropriate here is Microsoft Word course - when unloading trash from the files deleted by Windows remove those characteristics remain content retains its place. And through programs that I mentioned earlier can be installed until the missing part can be returned to its natural resources. And to emphasize what has been mentioned, it is noticeable that you lose part of the area of the hard disk after every operation to create, and does not get the full disk space, and more loss of the area after each process of creating. Did you notice this before?
Some institutions that offsetting this security problem earlier work some strict measures to get rid of the hard disk so that destroy information stored by the final, where they are out those old disk devices before they are offered for sale, and then heavy bales composting and incineration completely, and in the last phase adding ash resulting from the combustion process until liquid chemical material melts forever.
I think that what has been mentioned has become aware that information security and data confidentiality extends even after the disposal of devices and equipment that you deal with them, but I became convinced that there was a time bomb was planted in the old computers were sold in the last auction, and explode the bomb once that someone is deliberately in the retrieval of the data to achieve the goals may be fatal. Why would they sell your information after official now?
NOTE: This is a machine translation.
Virus Inside My Pocket
World Ablaze radical shift now occurring in the area of telecommunications, Valetsabq among manufacturers unabated in the war and winning the second option is not beyond, and we sunk in the public puzzled by what we see from the astonishing development in this sector. But there is this confusion of pushed aside and abandoned the ethics CST pregnant disarmament before this hurricane next technical in their quest to overthrow everybody and on all fronts without mercy or discrimination, these are the manufacturers of generating mass destructive viruses of digital communications technology, traveling between Houatvena feel that without them, trample everything they can achieve the specifics.
Believes that the spread of infection was first officially monitored against mobile phone was in June 2004, then known HIV Cabir, which was born at the hands of an international group specialized in the construction of viruses to demonstrate that “CST various offshoots-insecure abusers” and able group of emphasis on this principle published this virus wave to telephones that operate under an operating system produced by the company Symbian used in the new generation of digital mobile phones such as : Panasonic, Lenovo, Nokia, Sendo, Motorola, Arima, SonyEricsson, Siemens (I recommend you get a detailed list of all types of telephones, which operate under the Symbian environment of the site www.symbian.com / phones to verify whether your phone to the list or not). This virus spreads through Bluetooth technique where the search for the injured telephone extensions using this technique is to be operational in and around telephone injured in a radius of 9.144 m and is the area which could reach frequency of this technique. And personally have spotted this virus in the Sultanate at the end of August 2004 when he was hit by tank telephone immediately after the operation Blutooth one public places, and it is only minutes until noon on the screen of the phone that there are some who try to send the file name Cabir.sis and after receiving the file sender symptoms of the disease appeared on the telephone, then realized that this uninvited guest blood, which I read about in a CNN stayed in Diafti this time, after that dominated the technique of Bluetooth in the phone and has done research on all telephones around me and is sending itself to other phones to continue in the journey of destruction. She went directly to the site developers security programs PandaSoftware.com Federation to discuss the disease and find a panacea.
The virus, called Mabir affects phones which operate under a principle of Symbian also work very close to the famous virus Cabir. However, the method of spreading smarter and more sophisticated, it monitors SMS text message or MMS multimedia messages that reach the phone and respond to the virus sender of the letter “a message of the mass” multiple infected with the virus without the phone was injured, and so on. And more are smarter ways to spread viruses because it does not rely on Bluetooth technology to spread, but the communications network used in the deployment of cellular infection in outlying areas in the same state or even between countries of the world.
Another virus known as HOAX body and spreads to a telephone conversation you receive from one infected cell and the name on the form of ACE-? Or UNAVAILABE word and if you respond to your phone calls bitterly started this virus immediately and then re-contact numbers stored in your phone to broaden the circle of the disease, and is considered a very serious viruses where all survey data and information and telephone numbers from your computer and phone card and memory card. And had uncovered two Nokia and Motorola unveiled some information about this virus and confirmed that more than three million mobile phone infected with the virus in the United States alone so far (CNN site can be reviewed for more information).
According to the analytical studies of the growth of mobile phone viruses, it is likely that these viruses evolve to be more intelligent, where the new generation will be able to contact them on the Internet using GPRS or WAP and download hundreds of tunes and images on your order lifting consumption and mourn with great sadness if the prices of those services was high price your stay in the country because he definitely will be charged within the billing, as the virus can be international call from your mobile phone what is mesothelioma to certain figures in other countries of the world without any reason to feel so, and without showing you a phone call on the phone screen. It also could expose incoming or outgoing calls from your computer to control by manufacturers virus, or its ability to use communications network for the spread of infection and other telephones, The disease probably extend up to the companies that provide telecommunications service to cripple movement and that have reached this stage to either go back to the old generation of mobile phones for lack of this phenomenon which, Houatvena or to sell on the scrap market for lack of ability to respond to an attack unless the manufacturers and communications companies real desire to win this war.
It is axiomatic that companies provide wireless communications networks in ways that traditional protection such as firewalls firewalls and anti-virus programs, it does not have the information about the readiness of those companies operating in the State. and do not even know that it has a specialized team to follow up on this phenomenon everything on the card, especially around the world, some telecommunication companies have confirmed that the proliferation of “lethal viruses mobile phones” is only a matter of time. Will the virus remain in the pocket? Or should we say in the next week?
NOTE: This is a machine translation.
Believes that the spread of infection was first officially monitored against mobile phone was in June 2004, then known HIV Cabir, which was born at the hands of an international group specialized in the construction of viruses to demonstrate that “CST various offshoots-insecure abusers” and able group of emphasis on this principle published this virus wave to telephones that operate under an operating system produced by the company Symbian used in the new generation of digital mobile phones such as : Panasonic, Lenovo, Nokia, Sendo, Motorola, Arima, SonyEricsson, Siemens (I recommend you get a detailed list of all types of telephones, which operate under the Symbian environment of the site www.symbian.com / phones to verify whether your phone to the list or not). This virus spreads through Bluetooth technique where the search for the injured telephone extensions using this technique is to be operational in and around telephone injured in a radius of 9.144 m and is the area which could reach frequency of this technique. And personally have spotted this virus in the Sultanate at the end of August 2004 when he was hit by tank telephone immediately after the operation Blutooth one public places, and it is only minutes until noon on the screen of the phone that there are some who try to send the file name Cabir.sis and after receiving the file sender symptoms of the disease appeared on the telephone, then realized that this uninvited guest blood, which I read about in a CNN stayed in Diafti this time, after that dominated the technique of Bluetooth in the phone and has done research on all telephones around me and is sending itself to other phones to continue in the journey of destruction. She went directly to the site developers security programs PandaSoftware.com Federation to discuss the disease and find a panacea.
The virus, called Mabir affects phones which operate under a principle of Symbian also work very close to the famous virus Cabir. However, the method of spreading smarter and more sophisticated, it monitors SMS text message or MMS multimedia messages that reach the phone and respond to the virus sender of the letter “a message of the mass” multiple infected with the virus without the phone was injured, and so on. And more are smarter ways to spread viruses because it does not rely on Bluetooth technology to spread, but the communications network used in the deployment of cellular infection in outlying areas in the same state or even between countries of the world.
Another virus known as HOAX body and spreads to a telephone conversation you receive from one infected cell and the name on the form of ACE-? Or UNAVAILABE word and if you respond to your phone calls bitterly started this virus immediately and then re-contact numbers stored in your phone to broaden the circle of the disease, and is considered a very serious viruses where all survey data and information and telephone numbers from your computer and phone card and memory card. And had uncovered two Nokia and Motorola unveiled some information about this virus and confirmed that more than three million mobile phone infected with the virus in the United States alone so far (CNN site can be reviewed for more information).
According to the analytical studies of the growth of mobile phone viruses, it is likely that these viruses evolve to be more intelligent, where the new generation will be able to contact them on the Internet using GPRS or WAP and download hundreds of tunes and images on your order lifting consumption and mourn with great sadness if the prices of those services was high price your stay in the country because he definitely will be charged within the billing, as the virus can be international call from your mobile phone what is mesothelioma to certain figures in other countries of the world without any reason to feel so, and without showing you a phone call on the phone screen. It also could expose incoming or outgoing calls from your computer to control by manufacturers virus, or its ability to use communications network for the spread of infection and other telephones, The disease probably extend up to the companies that provide telecommunications service to cripple movement and that have reached this stage to either go back to the old generation of mobile phones for lack of this phenomenon which, Houatvena or to sell on the scrap market for lack of ability to respond to an attack unless the manufacturers and communications companies real desire to win this war.
It is axiomatic that companies provide wireless communications networks in ways that traditional protection such as firewalls firewalls and anti-virus programs, it does not have the information about the readiness of those companies operating in the State. and do not even know that it has a specialized team to follow up on this phenomenon everything on the card, especially around the world, some telecommunication companies have confirmed that the proliferation of “lethal viruses mobile phones” is only a matter of time. Will the virus remain in the pocket? Or should we say in the next week?
NOTE: This is a machine translation.
Mesothelioma Cancer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is almost always caused by previous exposure to asbestos.[1] In this disease, malignant cells develop in the mesothelium, a protective lining that covers most of the body's internal organs. Its most common site is the pleura (outer lining of the lungs and chest cavity), but it may also occur in the peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity) or the pericardium (a sac that surrounds the heart).
Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles, or have been exposed to asbestos dust and fibre in other ways, such as by washing the clothes of a family member who worked with asbestos, or by home renovation using asbestos cement products. Unlike lung cancer, there is no association between mesothelioma and smoking [2].
Signs and symptoms
Symptoms of mesothelioma may not appear until 20 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos. Shortness of breath, cough, and pain in the chest due to an accumulation of fluid in the pleural space are often symptoms of pleural mesothelioma.
Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include weight loss and cachexia, abdominal swelling and pain due to ascites (a buildup of fluid in the abdominal cavity). 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.
These symptoms may be caused by mesothelioma or by other, less serious conditions.
Mesothelioma that affects the pleura can cause these signs and symptoms:
chest wall pain
pleural effusion, or fluid surrounding the lung
shortness of breath
fatigue or anemia
wheezing, hoarseness, or cough
blood in the sputum (fluid) coughed up
In severe cases, the person may have many tumor masses. The individual may develop a pneumothorax, or collapse of the lung. The disease may metastasize, or spread, to other parts of the body.
Tumors that affect the abdominal cavity often do not cause symptoms until they are at a late stage. Symptoms include:
abdominal pain
ascites, or an abnormal buildup of fluid in the abdomen
a mass in the abdomen
problems with bowel function
weight loss
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, a disorder causing severe bleeding in many body organs
jaundice, or yellowing of the eyes and skin
low blood sugar level
pleural effusion
pulmonary emboli, or blood clots in the arteries of the lungs
severe ascites
A mesothelioma does not usually spread to the bone, brain, or adrenal glands. Pleural tumors are usually found only on one side of the lungs.
Diagnosis
Diagnosing mesothelioma is often difficult, because the symptoms are similar to those of a number of other conditions. Diagnosis begins with a review of the patient's medical history. A history of exposure to asbestos may increase clinical suspicion for mesothelioma. A physical examination is performed, followed by chest X-ray and often lung function tests. The X-ray may reveal pleural thickening commonly seen after asbestos exposure and increases suspicion of mesothelioma. A CT (or CAT) scan or an MRI is usually performed. If a large amount of fluid is present, abnormal cells may be detected by cytology if this fluid is aspirated with a syringe. For pleural fluid this is done by a pleural tap or chest drain, in ascites with an paracentesis or ascitic drain and in a pericardial effusion with pericardiocentesis. While absence of malignant cells on cytology does not completely exclude mesothelioma, it makes it much more unlikely, especially if an alternative diagnosis can be made (e.g. tuberculosis, heart failure).
If cytology is positive or a plaque is regarded as suspicious, a biopsy is needed to confirm a diagnosis of mesothelioma. A doctor removes a sample of tissue for examination under a microscope by a pathologist. A biopsy may be done in different ways, depending on where the abnormal area is located. If the cancer is in the chest, the doctor may perform a thoracoscopy. In this procedure, the doctor makes a small cut through the chest wall and puts a thin, lighted tube called a thoracoscope into the chest between two ribs. Thoracoscopy allows the doctor to look inside the chest and obtain tissue samples.
If the cancer is in the abdomen, the doctor may perform a laparoscopy. To obtain tissue for examination, the doctor makes a small opening in the abdomen and inserts a special instrument into the abdominal cavity. If these procedures do not yield enough tissue, more extensive diagnostic surgery may be necessary.
Typical immunohistochemistry results
Positive
Negative
EMA (epithelial membrane antigen) in a membranous distribution
CEA (carcinoembryonic antigen)
WT1 (Wilms' tumour 1)
B72.3
Calretinin
MOC-3 1
Mesothelin-1
CD15
Cytokeratin 5/6
Ber-EP4
HBME-1 (human mesothelial cell 1)
TTF-1 (thyroid transcription factor-1)
Screening
There is no universally agreed protocol for screening people who have been exposed to asbestos. However some research indicates that the serum osteopontin level might be useful in screening asbestos-exposed people for mesothelioma. The level of soluble mesothelin-related protein is elevated in the serum of about 75% of patients at diagnosis and it has been suggested that it may be useful for screening.[3]
Staging
Mesothelioma is described as localized if the cancer is found only on the membrane surface where it originated. It is classified as advanced if it has spread beyond the original membrane surface to other parts of the body, such as the lymph nodes, lungs, chest wall, or abdominal organs.
Pathophysiology
The mesothelium consists of a single layer of flattened to cuboidal cells forming the epithelial lining of the serous cavities of the body including the peritoneal, pericardial and pleural cavities. Deposition of asbestos fibres in the parenchyma of the lung may result in the penetration of the visceral pleura from where the fibre can then be carried to the pleural surface, thus leading to the development of malignant mesothelial plaques. The processes leading to the development of peritoneal mesothelioma remain unresolved, although it has been proposed that asbestos fibres from the lung are transported to the abdomen and associated organs via the lymphatic system. Additionally, asbestos fibres may be deposited in the gut after ingestion of sputum contaminated with asbestos fibres.
Pleural contamination with asbestos or other mineral fibres has been shown to cause cancer. Long thin asbestos fibers (blue asbestos, amphibole fibers) are more potent carcinogens than "feathery fibers" (chrysotile or white asbestos fibers).[4] However, there is now evidence that smaller particles may be more dangerous than the larger fibers.[1][2] They remain suspended in the air where they can be inhaled, and may penetrate more easily and deeper into the lungs. "We probably will find out a lot more about the health aspects of asbestos from [the World Trade Center attack], unfortunately," said Dr. Alan Fein, chief of pulmonary and critical-care medicine at North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System. Dr. Fein has treated several patients for "World Trade Center syndrome" or respiratory ailments from brief exposures of only a day or two near the collapsed buildings.[3]
Mesothelioma development in rats has been demonstrated following intra-pleural inoculation of phosphorylated chrysotile fibres. It has been suggested that in humans, transport of fibres to the pleura is critical to the pathogenesis of mesothelioma. This is supported by the observed recruitment of significant numbers of macrophages and other cells of the immune system to localised lesions of accumulated asbestos fibres in the pleural and peritoneal cavities of rats. These lesions continued to attract and accumulate macrophages as the disease progressed, and cellular changes within the lesion culminated in a morphologically malignant tumour.
Experimental evidence suggests that asbestos acts as a complete carcinogen with the development of mesothelioma occurring in sequential stages of initiation and promotion. The molecular mechanisms underlying the malignant transformation of normal mesothelial cells by asbestos fibres remain unclear despite the demonstration of its oncogenic capabilities. However, complete in vitro transformation of normal human mesothelial cells to malignant phenotype following exposure to asbestos fibres has not yet been achieved. In general, asbestos fibres are thought to act through direct physical interactions with the cells of the mesothelium in conjunction with indirect effects following interaction with inflammatory cells such as macrophages.
Analysis of the interactions between asbestos fibres and DNA has shown that phagocytosed fibres are able to make contact with chromosomes, often adhering to the chromatin fibres or becoming entangled within the chromosome. This contact between the asbestos fibre and the chromosomes or structural proteins of the spindle apparatus can induce complex abnormalities. The most common abnormality is monosomy of chromosome 22. Other frequent abnormalities include structural rearrangement of 1p, 3p, 9p and 6q chromosome arms.
Common gene abnormalities in mesothelioma cell lines include deletion of the tumor suppressor genes:
Neurofibromatosis type 2 at 22q12
P16INK4A
P14ARF
Asbestos has also been shown to mediate the entry of foreign DNA into target cells. Incorporation of this foreign DNA may lead to mutations and oncogenesis by several possible mechanisms:
Inactivation of tumor suppressor genes
Activation of oncogenes
Activation of proto-oncogenes due to incorporation of foreign DNA containing a promoter region
Activation of DNA repair enzymes, which may be prone to error
Activation of telomerase
Prevention of apoptosis
Asbestos fibres have been shown to alter the function and secretory properties of macrophages, ultimately creating conditions which favour the development of mesothelioma. Following asbestos phagocytosis, macrophages generate increased amounts of hydroxyl radicals, which are normal by-products of cellular anaerobic metabolism. However, these free radicals are also known clastogenic and membrane-active agents thought to promote asbestos carcinogenicity. These oxidants can participate in the oncogenic process by directly and indirectly interacting with DNA, modifying membrane-associated cellular events, including oncogene activation and perturbation of cellular antioxidant defences.
Asbestos also may possess immunosuppressive properties. For example, chrysotile fibres have been shown to depress the in vitro proliferation of phytohemagglutinin-stimulated peripheral blood lymphocytes, suppress natural killer cell lysis and significantly reduce lymphokine-activated killer cell viability and recovery. Furthermore, genetic alterations in asbestos-activated macrophages may result in the release of potent mesothelial cell mitogens such as platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) which in turn, may induce the chronic stimulation and proliferation of mesothelial cells after injury by asbestos fibres.
Epidemiology
Incidence
Although reported incidence rates have increased in the past 20 years, mesothelioma is still a relatively rare cancer. The incidence is approximately one per 1,000,000. For comparison, populations with high levels of smoking can have a lung cancer incidence of over 1,000 per 1,000,000. Incidence of malignant mesothelioma currently ranges from about 7 to 40 per 1,000,000 in industrialized Western nations, depending on the amount of asbestos exposure of the populations during the past several decades.[5] It has been estimated that incidence may have peaked at 15 per 1,000,000 in the United States in 2004. Incidence is expected to continue increasing in other parts of the world. Mesothelioma occurs more often in men than in women and risk increases with age, but this disease can appear in either men or women at any age. Approximately one fifth to one third of all mesotheliomas are peritoneal.
Between 1940 and 1979, approximately 27.5 million people were occupationally exposed to asbestos in the United States [4]. Between 1973 and 1984, there has been a threefold increase in the diagnosis of pleural mesothelioma in Caucasian males. From 1980 to the late 1990s, the death rate from mesothelioma in the USA increased from 2,000 per year to 3,000, with men four times more likely to acquire it than women. These rates may not be accurate, since it is possible that many cases of mesothelioma are misdiagnosed as adenocarcinoma of the lung, which is difficult to differentiate from mesothelioma.
Risk factors
Working with asbestos is the major risk factor for mesothelioma. A history of asbestos exposure exists in almost all cases. 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.
Asbestos is the name of a group of minerals that occur naturally as masses of strong, flexible fibers that can be separated into thin threads and woven. Asbestos has been widely used in many industrial products, including cement, brake linings, roof shingles, flooring products, textiles, and insulation. If tiny asbestos particles float in the air, especially during the manufacturing process, they may be inhaled or swallowed, and can cause serious health problems. In addition to mesothelioma, exposure to asbestos increases the risk of lung cancer, asbestosis (a noncancerous, chronic lung ailment), and other cancers, such as those of the larynx and kidney.
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.
Some studies suggest that simian virus 40 (SV40) may act as a cofactor in the development of mesothelioma.[6]
Exposure
Asbestos was known in antiquity, but it wasn't mined and widely used commercially until the late 1800s. Its use greatly increased during World War II. Since the early 1940s, millions of American workers have been exposed to asbestos dust. Initially, the risks associated with asbestos exposure were not publicly known. However, an increased risk of developing mesothelioma was later found among shipyard workers, people who work in asbestos mines and mills, producers of asbestos products, workers in the heating and construction industries, and other tradespeople. Today, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sets limits for acceptable levels of asbestos exposure in the workplace, and created guidelines for engineering controls and respirators, protective clothing, exposure monitoring, hygiene facilities and practices, warning signs, labeling, recordkeeping, and medical exams. By contrast, the British Government's Health and Safety Executive (HSE) states formally that any threshold for mesothelioma must be at a very low level and it is widely agreed that if any such threshold does exist at all, then it cannot currently be quantified. For practical purposes, therefore, HSE does not assume that any such threshold exists. People who work with asbestos wear personal protective equipment to lower their risk of exposure.
Occupational
Exposure to asbestos fibres has been recognised as an occupational health hazard since the early 1900s. Several epidemiological studies have associated exposure to asbestos with the development of lesions such as asbestos bodies in the sputum, pleural plaques, diffuse pleural thickening, asbestosis, carcinoma of the lung and larynx, gastrointestinal tumours, and diffuse mesothelioma of the pleura and peritoneum.
The documented presence of asbestos fibres in water supplies and food products has fostered concerns about the possible impact of long-term and, as yet, unknown exposure of the general population to these fibres. Although many authorities consider brief or transient exposure to asbestos fibres as inconsequential and an unlikely risk factor, some epidemiologists claim that there is no risk threshold. Cases of mesothelioma have been found in people whose only exposure was breathing the air through ventilation systems. Other cases had very minimal (3 months or less) direct exposure.
Commercial asbestos mining at Wittenoom, Western Australia, occurred between 1945 and 1966. A cohort study of miners employed at the mine reported that while no deaths occurred within the first 10 years after crocidolite exposure, 85 deaths attributable to mesothelioma had occurred by 1985. By 1994, 539 reported deaths due to mesothelioma had been reported in Western Australia.
Paraoccupational Secondary Exposure
Family members and others living with asbestos workers have an increased risk of developing mesothelioma, and possibly other asbestos related diseases. This risk may be the result of exposure to asbestos dust brought home on the clothing and hair of asbestos workers. To reduce the chance of exposing family members to asbestos fibres, asbestos workers are usually required to shower and change their clothing before leaving the workplace.
Asbestos in buildings
Many building materials used in both public and domestic premises prior to the banning of asbestos may contain asbestos. Those performing renovation works or diy activities may expose themselves to asbestos dust. In the UK use of Chrysotile asbestos was banned at the end of 1999. Brown and blue asbestos was banned in the UK around 1985. Buildings built or renovated prior to these dates may contain asbestos materials.
Environmental Exposure
Incidence of mesothelioma had been found to be higher in populations living near Naturally Occurring Asbestos (NOA).
Treatment
Treatment of MM using conventional therapies has not proved successful and patients have a median survival time of 6 - 12 months after presentation. The clinical behaviour of the malignancy is affected by several factors including the continuous mesothelial surface of the pleural cavity which favours local metastasis via exfoliated cells, invasion to underlying tissue and other organs within the pleural cavity, and the extremely long latency period between asbestos exposure and development of the disease.
Surgery
Surgery, either by itself or used in combination with pre- and post-operative adjuvant therapies has proved disappointing. A pleurectomy/decortication is the most common surgery, in which the lining of the chest is removed. Less common is an extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP), in which the lung, lining of the inside of the chest, the hemi-diaphragm and the pericardium are removed. It is not possible to remove the entire mesothelium without killing the patient.
Radiation
Wikibooks has a book on the topic of
Radiation Oncology/Lung/Mesothelioma
For patients with localized disease, and who can tolerate a radical surgery, radiation is often given post-operatively as a consolidative treatment. The entire hemi-thorax is treated with radiation therapy, often given simultaneously with chemotherapy. This approach of using surgery followed by radiation with chemotherapy has been pioneered by the thoracic oncology team at Brigham & Women's Hospital in Boston. [7] Delivering radiation and chemotherapy after a radical surgery has led to extended life expectancy in selected patient populations with some patients surviving more than 5 years. As part of a curative approach to mesothelioma, radiotherapy is also commonly applied to the sites of chest drain insertion, in order to prevent growth of the tumor along the track in the chest wall.
Although mesothelioma is generally resistant to curative treatment with radiotherapy alone, palliative treatment regimens are sometimes used to relieve symptoms arising from tumor growth, such as obstruction of a major blood vessel. Radiation therapy when given alone with curative intent has never been shown to improve survival from mesothelioma. The necessary radiation dose to treat mesothelioma that has not been surgically removed would be very toxic.
Chemotherapy
In February 2004, the United States Food and Drug Administration approved pemetrexed (brand name Alimta) for treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma. Pemetrexed is given in combination with cisplatin. Folic acid is also used to reduce the side-effects of pemetrexed.
Immunotherapy
Treatment regimens involving immunotherapy have yielded variable results. For example, intrapleural inoculation of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) in an attempt to boost the immune response, was found to be of no benefit to the patient (while it may benefit patients with bladder cancer). Mesothelioma cells proved susceptible to in vitro lysis by LAK cells following activation by interleukin-2 (IL-2), but patients undergoing this particular therapy experienced major side effects. Indeed, this trial was suspended in view of the unacceptably high levels of IL-2 toxicity and the severity of side effects such as fever and cachexia. Nonetheless, other trials involving interferon alpha have proved more encouraging with 20% of patients experiencing a greater than 50% reduction in tumor mass combined with minimal side effects.
Heated Intraoperative Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy
A procedure known as heated intraoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy was developed by Paul Sugarbaker at the Washington Cancer Institute.[7] The surgeon removes as much of the tumor as possible followed by the direct administration of a chemotherapy agent, heated to between 40 and 48°C, in the abdomen. The fluid is perfused for 60 to 120 minutes and then drained.
This technique permits the administration of high concentrations of selected drugs into the abdominal and pelvic surfaces. Heating the chemotherapy treatment increases the penetration of the drugs into tissues. Also, heating itself damages the malignant cells more than the normal cells.
Prevention & Expectations
What can be done to prevent the disease? Since the 1970s, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration have regulated the asbestos industry in the U.S. In the past, asbestos was used as a fire retardant and an insulator. Other products are now used in its place. The controversy involving exposure to different forms of asbestos continues.
There are two major types of asbestos: chrysotile and amphibole. It is thought that exposure to the amphibole form is more likely to cause mesothelioma. However, chrysotile has been used more frequently, hence many mesotheliomas are caused by chrysotile.
Removal is taking place in schools and other public buildings throughout the U.S. The hope is that these measures will greatly reduce the occurrence of this cancer.
What are the long-term effects of the disease? A mesothelioma is a highly aggressive tumor that is generally deadly. Current treatment of malignant mesothelioma is designed to make the person with cancer comfortable. Although long-term survival cannot usually be expected, the case of famed paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould is a noted exception.
What are the risks to others? Mesothelioma is not contagious and cannot be passed from one person to another. The exposure to the asbestos that caused the cancer occurred many years to several decades before the disease appeared. People who live with asbestos workers have a higher risk of getting this cancer.
Notable people with mesothelioma
Mesothelioma, though rare, has had a number of notable patients. Australian anti-racism activist Bob Bellear died in 2005. British science fiction writer Michael G. Coney, responsible for nearly 100 works also died in 2005. American film and television actor Paul Gleason, perhaps best known for his portrayal of Principal Richard Vernon in the 1985 film The Breakfast Club, died in 2006. Mickie Most, an English record producer, died of mesothelioma in 2003. Paul Rudolph, an American architect known for his cubist building designs, died in 1997.
Steve McQueen was diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma on December 22, 1979. He was not offered surgery or chemotherapy because doctors felt the cancer was too advanced. McQueen sought alternative treatments from clinics in Mexico. He died of a heart attack on November 7, 1980, in Juárez, Mexico, following cancer surgery. He may have been exposed to asbestos while serving with the US Marines as a young adult—asbestos was then commonly used to insulate ships' piping—or because of its use as an insulating material in car racing suits.[8] (It is also reported that he worked in a shipyard during World War II, where he might have been exposed to asbestos. [citation needed]
United States Congressman Bruce Vento died of mesothelioma in 2000. The Bruce Vento Hopebuilder is awarded yearly by his wife at the MARF symposium to persons or organizations who have done the most to support mesothelioma research and advocacy.
After a long period of untreated illness and pain, rock and roll musician and songwriter Warren Zevon was diagnosed with inoperable mesothelioma in the fall of 2002. Refusing treatments he believed might incapacitate him, Zevon focused his energies on recording his final album The Wind including the song Keep me in your heart which speaks of his failing breath. Zevon died at his home in Los Angeles, California, on September 7, 2003.
Although life expectancy with this disease is typically limited, there are notable survivors. In July 1982, Stephen Jay Gould was diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma. After his diagnosis, Gould wrote the "The Median Isn't the Message"[9] for Discover magazine, in which he argued that statistics such as median survival are just useful abstractions, not destiny. Gould lived for another twenty years eventually succumbing to metastatic adenocarcinoma of the lung, not mesothelioma.
Author Paul Kraus was diagnosed with mesothelioma in June 1997 following an umbilical hernia operation. His prognosis was "a few months." He continues to survive using a variety of integrative and complimentary modalities and has written a book about his experience.
Legal issues
Main article: asbestos and the law
The first lawsuits against asbestos manufacturers were in 1929. Since then, many lawsuits have been filed against asbestos manufacturers and employers, for neglecting to implement safety measures after the links between asbestos, asbestosis, and mesothelioma became known (some reports seem to place this as early as 1898). The liability resulting from the sheer number of lawsuits and people affected has reached billions of dollars. The amounts and method of allocating compensation have been the source of many court cases, and government attempts at resolution of existing and future cases.
History
The first lawsuit against asbestos manufacturers was brought in 1929. The parties settled that lawsuit, and as part of the agreement, the attorneys agreed not to pursue further cases. It was not until 1960 that an article published by Wagner et al first officially established mesothelioma as a disease arising from exposure to crocidolite asbestos.[10] The article referred to over 30 case studies of people who had suffered from mesothelioma in South Africa. Some exposures were transient and some were mine workers. In 1962 McNulty reported the first diagnosed case of malignant mesothelioma in an Australian asbestos worker.[11] The worker had worked in the mill at the asbestos mine in Wittenoom from 1948 to 1950.
In the town of Wittenoom, asbestos-containing mine waste was used to cover schoolyards and playgrounds. In 1965 an article in the British Journal of Industrial Medicine established that people who lived in the neighbourhoods of asbestos factories and mines, but did not work in them, had contracted mesothelioma.
Despite proof that the dust associated with asbestos mining and milling causes asbestos related disease, mining began at Wittenoom in 1943 and continued until 1966. In 1974 the first public warnings of the dangers of blue asbestos were published in a cover story called "Is this Killer in Your Home?" in Australia's Bulletin magazine. In 1978 the Western Australian Government decided to phase out the town of Wittenoom, following the publication of a Health Dept. booklet, "The Health Hazard at Wittenoom", containing the results of air sampling and an appraisal of worldwide medical information.
By 1979 the first writs for negligence related to Wittenoom were issued against CSR and its subsidiary ABA, and the Asbestos Diseases Society was formed to represent the Wittenoom victims.
References
^ United States Department of Health and Human Services.
^ "Cigarette smoking, asbestos exposure, and malignant mesothelioma" by Muscat JE, Wynder EL in Cancer Research (1991) volume 51 pages 2263-7 Entrez PubMed 2015590
^ "Soluble mesothelin-related protein--a blood test for mesothelioma" by B. W. Robinson, J. Creaney, R. Lake, A. Nowak, A. W. Musk, N. de Klerk, P. Winzell, K. E. Hellstrom and I. Hellstrom in Lung Cancer (2005) volume 49, pages S109-S111 Entrez PubMed 15950789.
^ "Malignant mesothelioma and occupational exposure to asbestos: a clinicopathological correlation of 1445 cases" by V. L. Roggli, A. Sharma, K. J. Butnor, T. Sporn and R. T. Vollmer in Ultrastruct Pathol (2002) volume 26 pages 55-65 Entrez PubMed 12036093.
^ "Advances in Malignant Mesothelioma" by Bruce W. S. Robinson and Richard A. Lake in The New England Journal of Medicine (2005) volume 353 pages 1591-1603 Entrez PubMed 16221782.
^ "SV40 in human tumors: new documents shed light on the apparent controversy" by D. S. MacLachlan in Anticancer Res (2002) volume 22, pages 3495-3499 Entrez PubMed 12552945.
^ a b "Resection margins, extrapleural nodal status, and cell type determine postoperative long-term survival in trimodality therapy of malignant pleural mesothelioma: results in 183 patients." by D. Sugarbaker in J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg (1999) volume 117, pages 54-63 Entrez PubMed 9869758.
^ McQueen's Legacy of Laetrile. New York Times (2005-11-15).
^ Gould, Stephen Jay. The Median Isn't the Message.
^ "Diffuse pleural mesothelioma and asbestos exposure in the North Western Cape Province" by J. C. Wagner, C. A. Sleggs and P. Marchand in Br J Ind Med. (1960) volume 17, pages 260-271 Entrez PubMed 13782506.
^ "Malignant pleural mesothelioma in an asbestos worker" by J. C. McNulty in Med J Aust (1962) volume 49, pages 953-954 Entrez PubMed 13932248.
Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is almost always caused by previous exposure to asbestos.[1] In this disease, malignant cells develop in the mesothelium, a protective lining that covers most of the body's internal organs. Its most common site is the pleura (outer lining of the lungs and chest cavity), but it may also occur in the peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity) or the pericardium (a sac that surrounds the heart).
Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles, or have been exposed to asbestos dust and fibre in other ways, such as by washing the clothes of a family member who worked with asbestos, or by home renovation using asbestos cement products. Unlike lung cancer, there is no association between mesothelioma and smoking [2].
Signs and symptoms
Symptoms of mesothelioma may not appear until 20 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos. Shortness of breath, cough, and pain in the chest due to an accumulation of fluid in the pleural space are often symptoms of pleural mesothelioma.
Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include weight loss and cachexia, abdominal swelling and pain due to ascites (a buildup of fluid in the abdominal cavity). 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.
These symptoms may be caused by mesothelioma or by other, less serious conditions.
Mesothelioma that affects the pleura can cause these signs and symptoms:
chest wall pain
pleural effusion, or fluid surrounding the lung
shortness of breath
fatigue or anemia
wheezing, hoarseness, or cough
blood in the sputum (fluid) coughed up
In severe cases, the person may have many tumor masses. The individual may develop a pneumothorax, or collapse of the lung. The disease may metastasize, or spread, to other parts of the body.
Tumors that affect the abdominal cavity often do not cause symptoms until they are at a late stage. Symptoms include:
abdominal pain
ascites, or an abnormal buildup of fluid in the abdomen
a mass in the abdomen
problems with bowel function
weight loss
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, a disorder causing severe bleeding in many body organs
jaundice, or yellowing of the eyes and skin
low blood sugar level
pleural effusion
pulmonary emboli, or blood clots in the arteries of the lungs
severe ascites
A mesothelioma does not usually spread to the bone, brain, or adrenal glands. Pleural tumors are usually found only on one side of the lungs.
Diagnosis
Diagnosing mesothelioma is often difficult, because the symptoms are similar to those of a number of other conditions. Diagnosis begins with a review of the patient's medical history. A history of exposure to asbestos may increase clinical suspicion for mesothelioma. A physical examination is performed, followed by chest X-ray and often lung function tests. The X-ray may reveal pleural thickening commonly seen after asbestos exposure and increases suspicion of mesothelioma. A CT (or CAT) scan or an MRI is usually performed. If a large amount of fluid is present, abnormal cells may be detected by cytology if this fluid is aspirated with a syringe. For pleural fluid this is done by a pleural tap or chest drain, in ascites with an paracentesis or ascitic drain and in a pericardial effusion with pericardiocentesis. While absence of malignant cells on cytology does not completely exclude mesothelioma, it makes it much more unlikely, especially if an alternative diagnosis can be made (e.g. tuberculosis, heart failure).
If cytology is positive or a plaque is regarded as suspicious, a biopsy is needed to confirm a diagnosis of mesothelioma. A doctor removes a sample of tissue for examination under a microscope by a pathologist. A biopsy may be done in different ways, depending on where the abnormal area is located. If the cancer is in the chest, the doctor may perform a thoracoscopy. In this procedure, the doctor makes a small cut through the chest wall and puts a thin, lighted tube called a thoracoscope into the chest between two ribs. Thoracoscopy allows the doctor to look inside the chest and obtain tissue samples.
If the cancer is in the abdomen, the doctor may perform a laparoscopy. To obtain tissue for examination, the doctor makes a small opening in the abdomen and inserts a special instrument into the abdominal cavity. If these procedures do not yield enough tissue, more extensive diagnostic surgery may be necessary.
Typical immunohistochemistry results
Positive
Negative
EMA (epithelial membrane antigen) in a membranous distribution
CEA (carcinoembryonic antigen)
WT1 (Wilms' tumour 1)
B72.3
Calretinin
MOC-3 1
Mesothelin-1
CD15
Cytokeratin 5/6
Ber-EP4
HBME-1 (human mesothelial cell 1)
TTF-1 (thyroid transcription factor-1)
Screening
There is no universally agreed protocol for screening people who have been exposed to asbestos. However some research indicates that the serum osteopontin level might be useful in screening asbestos-exposed people for mesothelioma. The level of soluble mesothelin-related protein is elevated in the serum of about 75% of patients at diagnosis and it has been suggested that it may be useful for screening.[3]
Staging
Mesothelioma is described as localized if the cancer is found only on the membrane surface where it originated. It is classified as advanced if it has spread beyond the original membrane surface to other parts of the body, such as the lymph nodes, lungs, chest wall, or abdominal organs.
Pathophysiology
The mesothelium consists of a single layer of flattened to cuboidal cells forming the epithelial lining of the serous cavities of the body including the peritoneal, pericardial and pleural cavities. Deposition of asbestos fibres in the parenchyma of the lung may result in the penetration of the visceral pleura from where the fibre can then be carried to the pleural surface, thus leading to the development of malignant mesothelial plaques. The processes leading to the development of peritoneal mesothelioma remain unresolved, although it has been proposed that asbestos fibres from the lung are transported to the abdomen and associated organs via the lymphatic system. Additionally, asbestos fibres may be deposited in the gut after ingestion of sputum contaminated with asbestos fibres.
Pleural contamination with asbestos or other mineral fibres has been shown to cause cancer. Long thin asbestos fibers (blue asbestos, amphibole fibers) are more potent carcinogens than "feathery fibers" (chrysotile or white asbestos fibers).[4] However, there is now evidence that smaller particles may be more dangerous than the larger fibers.[1][2] They remain suspended in the air where they can be inhaled, and may penetrate more easily and deeper into the lungs. "We probably will find out a lot more about the health aspects of asbestos from [the World Trade Center attack], unfortunately," said Dr. Alan Fein, chief of pulmonary and critical-care medicine at North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System. Dr. Fein has treated several patients for "World Trade Center syndrome" or respiratory ailments from brief exposures of only a day or two near the collapsed buildings.[3]
Mesothelioma development in rats has been demonstrated following intra-pleural inoculation of phosphorylated chrysotile fibres. It has been suggested that in humans, transport of fibres to the pleura is critical to the pathogenesis of mesothelioma. This is supported by the observed recruitment of significant numbers of macrophages and other cells of the immune system to localised lesions of accumulated asbestos fibres in the pleural and peritoneal cavities of rats. These lesions continued to attract and accumulate macrophages as the disease progressed, and cellular changes within the lesion culminated in a morphologically malignant tumour.
Experimental evidence suggests that asbestos acts as a complete carcinogen with the development of mesothelioma occurring in sequential stages of initiation and promotion. The molecular mechanisms underlying the malignant transformation of normal mesothelial cells by asbestos fibres remain unclear despite the demonstration of its oncogenic capabilities. However, complete in vitro transformation of normal human mesothelial cells to malignant phenotype following exposure to asbestos fibres has not yet been achieved. In general, asbestos fibres are thought to act through direct physical interactions with the cells of the mesothelium in conjunction with indirect effects following interaction with inflammatory cells such as macrophages.
Analysis of the interactions between asbestos fibres and DNA has shown that phagocytosed fibres are able to make contact with chromosomes, often adhering to the chromatin fibres or becoming entangled within the chromosome. This contact between the asbestos fibre and the chromosomes or structural proteins of the spindle apparatus can induce complex abnormalities. The most common abnormality is monosomy of chromosome 22. Other frequent abnormalities include structural rearrangement of 1p, 3p, 9p and 6q chromosome arms.
Common gene abnormalities in mesothelioma cell lines include deletion of the tumor suppressor genes:
Neurofibromatosis type 2 at 22q12
P16INK4A
P14ARF
Asbestos has also been shown to mediate the entry of foreign DNA into target cells. Incorporation of this foreign DNA may lead to mutations and oncogenesis by several possible mechanisms:
Inactivation of tumor suppressor genes
Activation of oncogenes
Activation of proto-oncogenes due to incorporation of foreign DNA containing a promoter region
Activation of DNA repair enzymes, which may be prone to error
Activation of telomerase
Prevention of apoptosis
Asbestos fibres have been shown to alter the function and secretory properties of macrophages, ultimately creating conditions which favour the development of mesothelioma. Following asbestos phagocytosis, macrophages generate increased amounts of hydroxyl radicals, which are normal by-products of cellular anaerobic metabolism. However, these free radicals are also known clastogenic and membrane-active agents thought to promote asbestos carcinogenicity. These oxidants can participate in the oncogenic process by directly and indirectly interacting with DNA, modifying membrane-associated cellular events, including oncogene activation and perturbation of cellular antioxidant defences.
Asbestos also may possess immunosuppressive properties. For example, chrysotile fibres have been shown to depress the in vitro proliferation of phytohemagglutinin-stimulated peripheral blood lymphocytes, suppress natural killer cell lysis and significantly reduce lymphokine-activated killer cell viability and recovery. Furthermore, genetic alterations in asbestos-activated macrophages may result in the release of potent mesothelial cell mitogens such as platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) which in turn, may induce the chronic stimulation and proliferation of mesothelial cells after injury by asbestos fibres.
Epidemiology
Incidence
Although reported incidence rates have increased in the past 20 years, mesothelioma is still a relatively rare cancer. The incidence is approximately one per 1,000,000. For comparison, populations with high levels of smoking can have a lung cancer incidence of over 1,000 per 1,000,000. Incidence of malignant mesothelioma currently ranges from about 7 to 40 per 1,000,000 in industrialized Western nations, depending on the amount of asbestos exposure of the populations during the past several decades.[5] It has been estimated that incidence may have peaked at 15 per 1,000,000 in the United States in 2004. Incidence is expected to continue increasing in other parts of the world. Mesothelioma occurs more often in men than in women and risk increases with age, but this disease can appear in either men or women at any age. Approximately one fifth to one third of all mesotheliomas are peritoneal.
Between 1940 and 1979, approximately 27.5 million people were occupationally exposed to asbestos in the United States [4]. Between 1973 and 1984, there has been a threefold increase in the diagnosis of pleural mesothelioma in Caucasian males. From 1980 to the late 1990s, the death rate from mesothelioma in the USA increased from 2,000 per year to 3,000, with men four times more likely to acquire it than women. These rates may not be accurate, since it is possible that many cases of mesothelioma are misdiagnosed as adenocarcinoma of the lung, which is difficult to differentiate from mesothelioma.
Risk factors
Working with asbestos is the major risk factor for mesothelioma. A history of asbestos exposure exists in almost all cases. 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.
Asbestos is the name of a group of minerals that occur naturally as masses of strong, flexible fibers that can be separated into thin threads and woven. Asbestos has been widely used in many industrial products, including cement, brake linings, roof shingles, flooring products, textiles, and insulation. If tiny asbestos particles float in the air, especially during the manufacturing process, they may be inhaled or swallowed, and can cause serious health problems. In addition to mesothelioma, exposure to asbestos increases the risk of lung cancer, asbestosis (a noncancerous, chronic lung ailment), and other cancers, such as those of the larynx and kidney.
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.
Some studies suggest that simian virus 40 (SV40) may act as a cofactor in the development of mesothelioma.[6]
Exposure
Asbestos was known in antiquity, but it wasn't mined and widely used commercially until the late 1800s. Its use greatly increased during World War II. Since the early 1940s, millions of American workers have been exposed to asbestos dust. Initially, the risks associated with asbestos exposure were not publicly known. However, an increased risk of developing mesothelioma was later found among shipyard workers, people who work in asbestos mines and mills, producers of asbestos products, workers in the heating and construction industries, and other tradespeople. Today, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sets limits for acceptable levels of asbestos exposure in the workplace, and created guidelines for engineering controls and respirators, protective clothing, exposure monitoring, hygiene facilities and practices, warning signs, labeling, recordkeeping, and medical exams. By contrast, the British Government's Health and Safety Executive (HSE) states formally that any threshold for mesothelioma must be at a very low level and it is widely agreed that if any such threshold does exist at all, then it cannot currently be quantified. For practical purposes, therefore, HSE does not assume that any such threshold exists. People who work with asbestos wear personal protective equipment to lower their risk of exposure.
Occupational
Exposure to asbestos fibres has been recognised as an occupational health hazard since the early 1900s. Several epidemiological studies have associated exposure to asbestos with the development of lesions such as asbestos bodies in the sputum, pleural plaques, diffuse pleural thickening, asbestosis, carcinoma of the lung and larynx, gastrointestinal tumours, and diffuse mesothelioma of the pleura and peritoneum.
The documented presence of asbestos fibres in water supplies and food products has fostered concerns about the possible impact of long-term and, as yet, unknown exposure of the general population to these fibres. Although many authorities consider brief or transient exposure to asbestos fibres as inconsequential and an unlikely risk factor, some epidemiologists claim that there is no risk threshold. Cases of mesothelioma have been found in people whose only exposure was breathing the air through ventilation systems. Other cases had very minimal (3 months or less) direct exposure.
Commercial asbestos mining at Wittenoom, Western Australia, occurred between 1945 and 1966. A cohort study of miners employed at the mine reported that while no deaths occurred within the first 10 years after crocidolite exposure, 85 deaths attributable to mesothelioma had occurred by 1985. By 1994, 539 reported deaths due to mesothelioma had been reported in Western Australia.
Paraoccupational Secondary Exposure
Family members and others living with asbestos workers have an increased risk of developing mesothelioma, and possibly other asbestos related diseases. This risk may be the result of exposure to asbestos dust brought home on the clothing and hair of asbestos workers. To reduce the chance of exposing family members to asbestos fibres, asbestos workers are usually required to shower and change their clothing before leaving the workplace.
Asbestos in buildings
Many building materials used in both public and domestic premises prior to the banning of asbestos may contain asbestos. Those performing renovation works or diy activities may expose themselves to asbestos dust. In the UK use of Chrysotile asbestos was banned at the end of 1999. Brown and blue asbestos was banned in the UK around 1985. Buildings built or renovated prior to these dates may contain asbestos materials.
Environmental Exposure
Incidence of mesothelioma had been found to be higher in populations living near Naturally Occurring Asbestos (NOA).
Treatment
Treatment of MM using conventional therapies has not proved successful and patients have a median survival time of 6 - 12 months after presentation. The clinical behaviour of the malignancy is affected by several factors including the continuous mesothelial surface of the pleural cavity which favours local metastasis via exfoliated cells, invasion to underlying tissue and other organs within the pleural cavity, and the extremely long latency period between asbestos exposure and development of the disease.
Surgery
Surgery, either by itself or used in combination with pre- and post-operative adjuvant therapies has proved disappointing. A pleurectomy/decortication is the most common surgery, in which the lining of the chest is removed. Less common is an extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP), in which the lung, lining of the inside of the chest, the hemi-diaphragm and the pericardium are removed. It is not possible to remove the entire mesothelium without killing the patient.
Radiation
Wikibooks has a book on the topic of
Radiation Oncology/Lung/Mesothelioma
For patients with localized disease, and who can tolerate a radical surgery, radiation is often given post-operatively as a consolidative treatment. The entire hemi-thorax is treated with radiation therapy, often given simultaneously with chemotherapy. This approach of using surgery followed by radiation with chemotherapy has been pioneered by the thoracic oncology team at Brigham & Women's Hospital in Boston. [7] Delivering radiation and chemotherapy after a radical surgery has led to extended life expectancy in selected patient populations with some patients surviving more than 5 years. As part of a curative approach to mesothelioma, radiotherapy is also commonly applied to the sites of chest drain insertion, in order to prevent growth of the tumor along the track in the chest wall.
Although mesothelioma is generally resistant to curative treatment with radiotherapy alone, palliative treatment regimens are sometimes used to relieve symptoms arising from tumor growth, such as obstruction of a major blood vessel. Radiation therapy when given alone with curative intent has never been shown to improve survival from mesothelioma. The necessary radiation dose to treat mesothelioma that has not been surgically removed would be very toxic.
Chemotherapy
In February 2004, the United States Food and Drug Administration approved pemetrexed (brand name Alimta) for treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma. Pemetrexed is given in combination with cisplatin. Folic acid is also used to reduce the side-effects of pemetrexed.
Immunotherapy
Treatment regimens involving immunotherapy have yielded variable results. For example, intrapleural inoculation of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) in an attempt to boost the immune response, was found to be of no benefit to the patient (while it may benefit patients with bladder cancer). Mesothelioma cells proved susceptible to in vitro lysis by LAK cells following activation by interleukin-2 (IL-2), but patients undergoing this particular therapy experienced major side effects. Indeed, this trial was suspended in view of the unacceptably high levels of IL-2 toxicity and the severity of side effects such as fever and cachexia. Nonetheless, other trials involving interferon alpha have proved more encouraging with 20% of patients experiencing a greater than 50% reduction in tumor mass combined with minimal side effects.
Heated Intraoperative Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy
A procedure known as heated intraoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy was developed by Paul Sugarbaker at the Washington Cancer Institute.[7] The surgeon removes as much of the tumor as possible followed by the direct administration of a chemotherapy agent, heated to between 40 and 48°C, in the abdomen. The fluid is perfused for 60 to 120 minutes and then drained.
This technique permits the administration of high concentrations of selected drugs into the abdominal and pelvic surfaces. Heating the chemotherapy treatment increases the penetration of the drugs into tissues. Also, heating itself damages the malignant cells more than the normal cells.
Prevention & Expectations
What can be done to prevent the disease? Since the 1970s, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration have regulated the asbestos industry in the U.S. In the past, asbestos was used as a fire retardant and an insulator. Other products are now used in its place. The controversy involving exposure to different forms of asbestos continues.
There are two major types of asbestos: chrysotile and amphibole. It is thought that exposure to the amphibole form is more likely to cause mesothelioma. However, chrysotile has been used more frequently, hence many mesotheliomas are caused by chrysotile.
Removal is taking place in schools and other public buildings throughout the U.S. The hope is that these measures will greatly reduce the occurrence of this cancer.
What are the long-term effects of the disease? A mesothelioma is a highly aggressive tumor that is generally deadly. Current treatment of malignant mesothelioma is designed to make the person with cancer comfortable. Although long-term survival cannot usually be expected, the case of famed paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould is a noted exception.
What are the risks to others? Mesothelioma is not contagious and cannot be passed from one person to another. The exposure to the asbestos that caused the cancer occurred many years to several decades before the disease appeared. People who live with asbestos workers have a higher risk of getting this cancer.
Notable people with mesothelioma
Mesothelioma, though rare, has had a number of notable patients. Australian anti-racism activist Bob Bellear died in 2005. British science fiction writer Michael G. Coney, responsible for nearly 100 works also died in 2005. American film and television actor Paul Gleason, perhaps best known for his portrayal of Principal Richard Vernon in the 1985 film The Breakfast Club, died in 2006. Mickie Most, an English record producer, died of mesothelioma in 2003. Paul Rudolph, an American architect known for his cubist building designs, died in 1997.
Steve McQueen was diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma on December 22, 1979. He was not offered surgery or chemotherapy because doctors felt the cancer was too advanced. McQueen sought alternative treatments from clinics in Mexico. He died of a heart attack on November 7, 1980, in Juárez, Mexico, following cancer surgery. He may have been exposed to asbestos while serving with the US Marines as a young adult—asbestos was then commonly used to insulate ships' piping—or because of its use as an insulating material in car racing suits.[8] (It is also reported that he worked in a shipyard during World War II, where he might have been exposed to asbestos. [citation needed]
United States Congressman Bruce Vento died of mesothelioma in 2000. The Bruce Vento Hopebuilder is awarded yearly by his wife at the MARF symposium to persons or organizations who have done the most to support mesothelioma research and advocacy.
After a long period of untreated illness and pain, rock and roll musician and songwriter Warren Zevon was diagnosed with inoperable mesothelioma in the fall of 2002. Refusing treatments he believed might incapacitate him, Zevon focused his energies on recording his final album The Wind including the song Keep me in your heart which speaks of his failing breath. Zevon died at his home in Los Angeles, California, on September 7, 2003.
Although life expectancy with this disease is typically limited, there are notable survivors. In July 1982, Stephen Jay Gould was diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma. After his diagnosis, Gould wrote the "The Median Isn't the Message"[9] for Discover magazine, in which he argued that statistics such as median survival are just useful abstractions, not destiny. Gould lived for another twenty years eventually succumbing to metastatic adenocarcinoma of the lung, not mesothelioma.
Author Paul Kraus was diagnosed with mesothelioma in June 1997 following an umbilical hernia operation. His prognosis was "a few months." He continues to survive using a variety of integrative and complimentary modalities and has written a book about his experience.
Legal issues
Main article: asbestos and the law
The first lawsuits against asbestos manufacturers were in 1929. Since then, many lawsuits have been filed against asbestos manufacturers and employers, for neglecting to implement safety measures after the links between asbestos, asbestosis, and mesothelioma became known (some reports seem to place this as early as 1898). The liability resulting from the sheer number of lawsuits and people affected has reached billions of dollars. The amounts and method of allocating compensation have been the source of many court cases, and government attempts at resolution of existing and future cases.
History
The first lawsuit against asbestos manufacturers was brought in 1929. The parties settled that lawsuit, and as part of the agreement, the attorneys agreed not to pursue further cases. It was not until 1960 that an article published by Wagner et al first officially established mesothelioma as a disease arising from exposure to crocidolite asbestos.[10] The article referred to over 30 case studies of people who had suffered from mesothelioma in South Africa. Some exposures were transient and some were mine workers. In 1962 McNulty reported the first diagnosed case of malignant mesothelioma in an Australian asbestos worker.[11] The worker had worked in the mill at the asbestos mine in Wittenoom from 1948 to 1950.
In the town of Wittenoom, asbestos-containing mine waste was used to cover schoolyards and playgrounds. In 1965 an article in the British Journal of Industrial Medicine established that people who lived in the neighbourhoods of asbestos factories and mines, but did not work in them, had contracted mesothelioma.
Despite proof that the dust associated with asbestos mining and milling causes asbestos related disease, mining began at Wittenoom in 1943 and continued until 1966. In 1974 the first public warnings of the dangers of blue asbestos were published in a cover story called "Is this Killer in Your Home?" in Australia's Bulletin magazine. In 1978 the Western Australian Government decided to phase out the town of Wittenoom, following the publication of a Health Dept. booklet, "The Health Hazard at Wittenoom", containing the results of air sampling and an appraisal of worldwide medical information.
By 1979 the first writs for negligence related to Wittenoom were issued against CSR and its subsidiary ABA, and the Asbestos Diseases Society was formed to represent the Wittenoom victims.
References
^ United States Department of Health and Human Services.
^ "Cigarette smoking, asbestos exposure, and malignant mesothelioma" by Muscat JE, Wynder EL in Cancer Research (1991) volume 51 pages 2263-7 Entrez PubMed 2015590
^ "Soluble mesothelin-related protein--a blood test for mesothelioma" by B. W. Robinson, J. Creaney, R. Lake, A. Nowak, A. W. Musk, N. de Klerk, P. Winzell, K. E. Hellstrom and I. Hellstrom in Lung Cancer (2005) volume 49, pages S109-S111 Entrez PubMed 15950789.
^ "Malignant mesothelioma and occupational exposure to asbestos: a clinicopathological correlation of 1445 cases" by V. L. Roggli, A. Sharma, K. J. Butnor, T. Sporn and R. T. Vollmer in Ultrastruct Pathol (2002) volume 26 pages 55-65 Entrez PubMed 12036093.
^ "Advances in Malignant Mesothelioma" by Bruce W. S. Robinson and Richard A. Lake in The New England Journal of Medicine (2005) volume 353 pages 1591-1603 Entrez PubMed 16221782.
^ "SV40 in human tumors: new documents shed light on the apparent controversy" by D. S. MacLachlan in Anticancer Res (2002) volume 22, pages 3495-3499 Entrez PubMed 12552945.
^ a b "Resection margins, extrapleural nodal status, and cell type determine postoperative long-term survival in trimodality therapy of malignant pleural mesothelioma: results in 183 patients." by D. Sugarbaker in J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg (1999) volume 117, pages 54-63 Entrez PubMed 9869758.
^ McQueen's Legacy of Laetrile. New York Times (2005-11-15).
^ Gould, Stephen Jay. The Median Isn't the Message.
^ "Diffuse pleural mesothelioma and asbestos exposure in the North Western Cape Province" by J. C. Wagner, C. A. Sleggs and P. Marchand in Br J Ind Med. (1960) volume 17, pages 260-271 Entrez PubMed 13782506.
^ "Malignant pleural mesothelioma in an asbestos worker" by J. C. McNulty in Med J Aust (1962) volume 49, pages 953-954 Entrez PubMed 13932248.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
