Mesothelioma Diagnosis-Three main steps in diagnosing mesothelioma
There are three main steps by which medical doctors diagnose Mesothelioma Cancer:
1-Medical History and physical examination.
2-Imaging Tests
3-Tissue and Fluid Testing known as Biopsy
1-Medical history review and physical examination
The first step that your health professional will take in evaluating you for an asbestos related disease is to obtain a full medical history .The taking of a medical history involves the patient being subjected to a well structured interview to determine the level and severity of risk factors and presenting symptoms. This interview will look consider among other things,where you were exposed to asbestos,the length of exposure and the amount of asbestos that you were exposed to.
After the interview the doctor will perform a physical examination to look for the signs and symptoms of various forms of mesothelioma. For example,if Pleural Mesothelioma is suspected the doctor will look for fluid in the chest,if Peritoneal Mesothelioma is suspected the doctor will look for fluid in the abdomen and if Pericardial Mesothelioma is suspected the doctor will look for fluid in the sac surrounding the heart.
2-Diagnostic imaging tests There are different diagnostic imaging tests that are used in diagnosing mesothelioma
-Chest x-rays are used to identify abnormalities in the lungs including unusual thickening,mineral deposits and fluid in the chest area. If these conditions are present then it may be evidence that mesothelioma has developed.
-CT scans are capable of providing images of the same location from different angles. It helps to provide more information about how far the cancer has progressed.
-MRI technology uses magnetic fields rather than x-rays to provide additional views of the tumor. This test also provides information about how far the tumor has progressed.
3- Fluid and tissue sample Testing-Biopsy
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.
Diagnosing mesothelioma is never easy. Fluid build up alone in the chest,belly or heart regions is not enough to confirm a diagnosis. Tissue samples obtained from biopsy procedures are also difficult to discern because mesothelioma cancer cells often resemble other types of cancer. For this reason,the tissue samples are also subjected to specialized laboratory procedures are to identify certain chemicals that are known to exist with mesothelioma and high powered laboratory equipment is used to examine the smallest details of cancer cells to confirm that mesothelioma is present.
Having a knowlegde about the diagnosis and other aspects of the mesothelioma cancer will help patients cooperate better with the various aspects of treatment of the disease.