Mesothelioma Diagnosis
Mesothelioma takes a long time to incubate within a human body before symptoms of mesothelioma may appear and cause suffering to the carrier. It can take fifteen to twenty years for this deadly disease to fully present itself and the damage it has done. This presents a very difficult challenge for doctors and the medical community in diagnosing mesothelioma and in many cases patients with this disease are either not aware that they have it or do not ask the doctor to specifically check for symptoms of mesothelioma.
A diagnosis of mesothelioma is most often obtained with careful assessment of clinical and radiological findings in addition to a confirming tissue biopsy. (Learn about typical mesothelioma symptoms.) A review of the patient's medical history, including history of asbestos exposure is taken, followed by a complete physical examination, x-rays of the chest or abdomen, and lung function tests. A CT scan or MRI may also be done at this time. If any of these preliminary tests prove suspicious for mesothelioma; a biopsy is necessary to confirm this diagnosis.
Because mesothelioma's symptoms are not unique to it, diagnosis is often difficult. A review of the patient's medical history is an important part in assessing the risk of mesothelioma as a first step in diagnosing the disease.
Most people begin by seeing a general practitioner when they experience symptoms. After a preliminary examination, the doctor may arrange for tests or x-rays, and the patient may be referred to a specialist for additional advice and treatment.
The most common early tests ordered by physicians are the chest x-ray and CT Scan.
Depending on the results of the chest x-ray and CT, the next common test is sputum cytology, which is used to rule out other diseases.
In the event of a definitive mesothelioma diagnosis, the doctor will want to learn the stage (or extent) of the disease. Determining the stage of the disease involves more tests in a careful attempt to find out whether the cancer has spread (metastasized) and, if so, to which parts of the body. Knowing the stage of the disease helps the doctor choose an appropriate plan of treatment.
If cytology is positive or a plaque is regarded as suspicious, a biopsy is needed to confirm a diagnosis of mesothelioma. A surgeon removes a section of tissue for inspection under a microscope by a histopathologist. A biopsy may be completed in a number of ways, depending on where the abnormal area is to be found. If the malignant cells are in the chest, the surgeon may carry out a thoracoscopy. In this method, the surgeon makes a tiny cut through the chest wall and puts a thin, lighted tube usually referred to as a thoracoscopy into the chest between two ribs. Thoracoscopy allows the surgeon to inspect the inside of the chest and acquire tissue samples.
To obtain tissue for examination, the surgeon 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.
