Mesothelioma

James Rhio O’Connor’s life presents one of the best examples I have heard of becoming exceptional to overcome the impossible. He was just a normal man who had probably just entered retirement and had looked forward to many more years of life to enjoy with his wife. When confronted with an unbearable situation he just decided that not only would he make it endurable but that he would do everything he can to triumph. He did die in the end.

I wonder if sheer terror propelled him toward his journey; fear of death. Did it ever occur to him that he was being selfish in torturing his family with a fate that he could prolong but never avoid? I wish I knew more about him. I have read his book and I feel like a do know him a bit better: it seems that he honestly believed that he would claim victory over this disease. It doesn’t matter what the end results were anymore, but that he fought. It doesn’t matter who he was fighting for or even why really. What mattered was his outlook on the innate preciousness of life and that it deserved to have someone fight for it. That is what is honorable.

Asbestos are natural mineral rocks that cause Asbestosis, a form of cancer, when you inhale them in powder form for prolonged periods of time. Mesothelioma is a specific form of asbestosis. One may have inhaled this mineral due to its former, now discontinued, use in construction of buildings or from removing the asbestos in older buildings. In the 1900s this was widely used because it was inexpensive and served as a good insulator because it was incredibly resistant to heat. By 1930 it was known to cause cancer but the knowledge was repressed and was not taken to court until 1970. Even after that mining did not stop until the 1980s! During the year between 19030 and 70 construction workers and miners still worked with asbestos and reportedly combatted it effects by working in ventilated areas. That still does not account for the workers who had to mine the asbestos minerals. Furthermore, asbestos could be encountered every day, not just in old buildings – lining old pipes, cars, and even in toys. Over half a million people have and will still die from exposure to asbestos. That, however, is still not what is amazing – it is still not illegal. In 1989 a lawsuit was filed calling for the banning of asbestos but it was defeated. Today, asbestos is still not illegal, asbestos-related products are still being banned individually.

Mesothelioma is an incredibly painful and usually lethal form of cancer. Asbestos fibers are inhaled and retained in the lungs causing the mutation of cells and cell proliferation. Usually, this disease is malignantly latent for years before symptoms are shown such as shortness of breath, pain, swelling, extreme fatigue, and blood in coughing. Additionally, this disease affects the mesothelium which is the lining to the abdominal cavities, heart, and lungs. This is significant because it means that this disease can affect you any and everywhere in the body. It can cause fluid buildup, which causes the pain and swelling, and in severe cases, cause tumors. The tumors can develop anywhere in body which makes for a difficult removal, if they can be removed at all.

We have not made much progress when it comes to treating cancer. This assessment is due mainly to the fact that cancer has existed since the times of ancient Egyptians and it is still a common cause of death over five thousand years later. It is a widely accepted fact that autopsies on ancient mummies revealed carcinogenic tumors. Some scientists even argue that the same tumors can be found in dinosaurs dating to before that time. Early writings identify certain tumors as cancerous. Since then, over thousands of years since the time of the ancient Egyptian society, one of the best forms of treatment developed has been to locate and remove the tumors. The x-ray has been developed to help better locate the tumors. I do not attribute chemotherapy and radiation as necessarily beneficial developments because of their low rate of success – one particular study took over 155,000 people, who had developed different types of cancers, and less than 3500 of them that were treated with chemotherapy survived. There is also the issue of length of survival too, cancer could return. The time limit for successful chemo was a survival of five years after treatment and only that two percent had lived. Chemotherapy consists of a regiment of drugs and radiation to stop the proliferation of malignant cells. Radiation in itself is a carcinogen! Many patients simply do not find it logical to treat cancer with a treatment that could cause another form of cancer later on. I, like James Rhio, do not see that as an acceptable form of treatment because it considerably reduces quality of life while undergoing chemotherapy. Also, this radiation doesn’t just kill cancer cells – it kills many other cells also, including white blood cells. How can you fight a disease by destroying the immune system? Again, I do not think we have progressed very far since that is humanity’s crowning achievement in cancer treatments since the 19^th century.

I believe that James Rhio O’Connor’s death could have been prevented, along with many others. Today, many types of cancer have been attributed to specific chemicals and substances. True progression towards a cure would call for going back to a time when we did not look for everything to be handed to us, when we as a society do not constantly look for a way to make everything easier and doing that the cheapest way possible. Mesothelioma is rarely contracted without the involvement of asbestos which we sought out because it was easy and cheap.

However, I do realize that progression and advancement itself is at the core of the human spirit of survival – how to survive and how to do it in the best way. I believe that mapping out the human genome has given us a jump start on being able to use gene therapy in the best way possible and removing genetic cancers at their source. Experimental drugs for destroying cancer-specific cells are the next step. We had to start somewhere and although chemotherapy provided that stepping stone, I admire James O’Conner for going along the path least taken and his innovative thinking. I do believe that the best way to treat cancer is by taking a proactive approach and leading as natural and healthy of a life as possible. No, it is not realistic to eliminate all the chemicals in the world, but maybe when we stop using each other to make a cheap buck like those who repressed the danger of asbestos we will make true progress.

An Essay on Cancer and the Human Spirit

James Rhio O’Connor’s life presents one of the best examples I have heard of becoming exceptional to overcome the impossible. He was just a normal man who had probably just entered retirement and had looked forward to many more years of life to enjoy with his wife. When confronted with an unbearable situation he just decided that not only would he make it endurable but that he would do everything he can to triumph. He did die in the end.

I wonder if sheer terror propelled him toward his journey; fear of death. Did it ever occur to him that he was being selfish in torturing his family with a fate that he could prolong but never avoid? I wish I knew more about him. I have read his book and I feel like a do know him a bit better: it seems that he honestly believed that he would claim victory over this disease. It doesn’t matter what the end results were anymore, but that he fought. It doesn’t matter who he was fighting for or even why really. What mattered was his outlook on the innate preciousness of life and that it deserved to have someone fight for it. That is what is honorable.

Asbestos are natural mineral rocks that cause Asbestosis, a form of cancer, when you inhale them in powder form for prolonged periods of time. Mesothelioma is a specific form of asbestosis. One may have inhaled this mineral due to its former, now discontinued, use in construction of buildings or from removing the asbestos in older buildings. In the 1900s this was widely used because it was inexpensive and served as a good insulator because it was incredibly resistant to heat. By 1930 it was known to cause cancer but the knowledge was repressed and was not taken to court until 1970. Even after that mining did not stop until the 1980s! During the year between 19030 and 70 construction workers and miners still worked with asbestos and reportedly combatted it effects by working in ventilated areas. That still does not account for the workers who had to mine the asbestos minerals. Furthermore, asbestos could be encountered every day, not just in old buildings – lining old pipes, cars, and even in toys. Over half a million people have and will still die from exposure to asbestos. That, however, is still not what is amazing – it is still not illegal. In 1989 a lawsuit was filed calling for the banning of asbestos but it was defeated. Today, asbestos is still not illegal, asbestos-related products are still being banned individually.

Mesothelioma is an incredibly painful and usually lethal form of cancer. Asbestos fibers are inhaled and retained in the lungs causing the mutation of cells and cell proliferation. Usually, this disease is malignantly latent for years before symptoms are shown such as shortness of breath, pain, swelling, extreme fatigue, and blood in coughing. Additionally, this disease affects the mesothelium which is the lining to the abdominal cavities, heart, and lungs. This is significant because it means that this disease can affect you any and everywhere in the body. It can cause fluid buildup, which causes the pain and swelling, and in severe cases, cause tumors. The tumors can develop anywhere in body which makes for a difficult removal, if they can be removed at all.

We have not made much progress when it comes to treating cancer. This assessment is due mainly to the fact that cancer has existed since the times of ancient Egyptians and it is still a common cause of death over five thousand years later. It is a widely accepted fact that autopsies on ancient mummies revealed carcinogenic tumors. Some scientists even argue that the same tumors can be found in dinosaurs dating to before that time. Early writings identify certain tumors as cancerous. Since then, over thousands of years since the time of the ancient Egyptian society, one of the best forms of treatment developed has been to locate and remove the tumors. The x-ray has been developed to help better locate the tumors. I do not attribute chemotherapy and radiation as necessarily beneficial developments because of their low rate of success – one particular study took over 155,000 people, who had developed different types of cancers, and less than 3500 of them that were treated with chemotherapy survived. There is also the issue of length of survival too, cancer could return. The time limit for successful chemo was a survival of five years after treatment and only that two percent had lived. Chemotherapy consists of a regiment of drugs and radiation to stop the proliferation of malignant cells. Radiation in itself is a carcinogen! Many patients simply do not find it logical to treat cancer with a treatment that could cause another form of cancer later on. I, like James Rhio, do not see that as an acceptable form of treatment because it considerably reduces quality of life while undergoing chemotherapy. Also, this radiation doesn’t just kill cancer cells – it kills many other cells also, including white blood cells. How can you fight a disease by destroying the immune system? Again, I do not think we have progressed very far since that is humanity’s crowning achievement in cancer treatments since the 19^th century.

I believe that James Rhio O’Connor’s death could have been prevented, along with many others. Today, many types of cancer have been attributed to specific chemicals and substances. True progression towards a cure would call for going back to a time when we did not look for everything to be handed to us, when we as a society do not constantly look for a way to make everything easier and doing that the cheapest way possible. Mesothelioma is rarely contracted without the involvement of asbestos which we sought out because it was easy and cheap.

However, I do realize that progression and advancement itself is at the core of the human spirit of survival – how to survive and how to do it in the best way. I believe that mapping out the human genome has given us a jump start on being able to use gene therapy in the best way possible and removing genetic cancers at their source. Experimental drugs for destroying cancer-specific cells are the next step. We had to start somewhere and although chemotherapy provided that stepping stone, I admire James O’Conner for going along the path least taken and his innovative thinking. I do believe that the best way to treat cancer is by taking a proactive approach and leading as natural and healthy of a life as possible. No, it is not realistic to eliminate all the chemicals in the world, but maybe when we stop using each other to make a cheap buck like those who repressed the danger of asbestos we will make true progess.