Diagnosis of Mesothelioma

If you suspect that you may have Mesothelioma a medical professional will subject you to a variety of examinations and tests to see whether you have the

The first stages of testing

The first step that your health professional will take in evaluating you for an asbestos related disease is to obtain a full medical history to determine the level and severity of risk factors and presenting symptoms. This interview will look at where you were exposed to asbestos, the length of exposure and the amount of asbestos that you were exposed to.

In addition, he/she will perform a medical exam to look for signs and symptoms of various forms of mesothelioma. For example, if pleural mesothelioma is suspected the doctor will look for fluid in the chest, peritoneal mesothelioma often shows fluid in the abdomen and pericardial mesothelioma presents with fluid in the area of the heart.

If your doctor suspects an asbestos-related disease, the next step in diagnosis is tests to confirm the presence of mesothelioma, determine the location, size and type of cancer involved, and to determine whether the asbestos cancer has spread to other parts of the body. This will often involve imaging tests such as:

• Chest X-ray: This is the most commonly used imaging test for the diagnosis of mesothelioma. Almost all diagnoses will involve an x-ray but a more sophisticated test may follow.
• CT Scan: An x-ray-like procedure in which several x-ray pictures are taken and combined with a computer to produce a detailed image of body tissues. If you undergo a CT scan, you may be given an intravenous injection of dye that helps produce more detailed images.
• PET Scan: Glucose solution is administered via intravenous injection, and a scanner is used to spot deposits of cancer cells. Malignant cells take up and use sugars more quickly than normal cells, so they can be easily distinguished using this procedure.
• MRI Scan: A combination of radio waves and a strong magnetic field is used to create detailed three-dimensional images that can be carefully examined by a radiologist.

The third stages of testing

The third stages of testing involves testing fluid and tissue samples. If fluid build-up in the chest, abdomen or heart area is present, your doctor may want to obtain a sample. To accomplish this he/she will use a long needle to obtain fluid from the target area. The fluid will then be sent to the lab for analysis.

A bronchoscopy procedure may be recommended for patients who are suspected of having pleural mesothelioma. For this medical test, a soft tube illuminates the trachea and bronchi to determine if any masses are present in the airways. If deemed necessary, the technician my take sample of tissue that appears to be abnormal for further testing.

If lymph node involvement is suspected which is common with lung cancer, patients may also undergo a mediastinoscopy. This procedure is similar to a bronchoscopy in that a soft tube enters the body under the chest bone and illuminates the chest area. In this way, the surgeon can examine lymph nodes for abnormalities, check to see how far disease may have progressed and when necessary help diagnose lung cancer vs. mesothelioma.