Mesothelioma
Diagnosis
A doctor should be seen if a person experiences shortness of breath, chest pain, or swelling in the abdomen. If these symptoms are present, the doctor will likely order an x-ray of the abdomen or chest. The doctor will then do a complete physical examination of the patient and take a thorough medical history. Then, one or more of the methods of diagnosis mentioned below will be used to further distinguish whether mesothelioma is present.Imaging Tests
These tests may include MRI's (magnetic resolution imaging) or computed tomography (CT scans) to allow the doctor to visualize the areas of concern. These results will help determine the location, size and extent of the mesothelioma cancer.
Pleural Biopsy
Diagnosing mesothelioma requires an adequate biopsy specimen. Unfortunately, because mesothelioma typically starts in the lower part of the diaphragm, obtaining enough tissue may be difficult. A simple pleural biopsy involves the insertion of a needle into the chest cavity to obtain tissue from the pleural membrane for analysis. This is a minimally invasive technique, but it often does not provide adequate material for the necessary stains of the tissue to make a diagnosis of mesothelioma. The biopsy may not have taken place in the exact area of the tumor and thus would be ineffective in determining whether cancer exists or not.
When the diagnosis cannot be made with a simple pleural biopsy, an open pleural biopsy may be obtained. In this procedure, a surgeon makes an incision on the patient's side and goes into the pleural space. This method allows maximum exploration of the pleural membrane and a proper diagnosis is much more probable.
Thoracoscopy
A thoracoscopy is a relatively new technique which allows the doctor to look directly into the chest cavity. The procedure is performed by making a small incision into the chest and inspecting the region with a very small video camera. During this procedure the doctor may also chose to perform a laparoscopy which is a similar operation used to obtain a biopsy of a peritoneal tumor.Bronchoscopy
Bronchoscopy is used to examine the airways in the chest. It allows the doctor to look at the area with a lighted tube. Samples may be taken and sent to the lab to find out if cancer cells are present. However, this technique is not that effective for diagnosing mesothelioma, as the disease is seldom found within the airways or the lymph nodes.