Mesothelioma Diagnosis
Malignant mesothelioma can be difficult to detect. Symptoms of the cancer are similar to many common illnesses. Shortness of breath, chest pain, and weight loss are all symptoms of pleural mesothelioma. If an individual has worked in an environment where there may have been asbestos, this should be related to his or her physician. This can increase clinical suspicion of mesothelioma and can lead to a quicker diagnosis.
A large part of what makes this cancer so deadly to detect is its delayed onset. Mesothelioma typically is not diagnosed until 15–50 years after its primary cause, asbestos exposure. Often by the time patients develop symptoms that cause them to see a physician, the mesothelioma has destroyed too much body tissue to prevent it from taking the patient’s life.
When a patient is suspected of having mesothelioma, a doctor will perform a physical examination of the patient, have chest X–rays taken, and often conduct lung function tests. The X–ray can be used to detect pleural thickening that the cancer causes. Further diagnostic tests such as a CT scan or MRI is usually performed. Fluid may also be withdrawn from the body for lab tests. Testing can determine the presence of mesothelioma. A biopsy may also be needed to confirm cancerous cells.
If pleural mesothelioma is suspected, a thoracoscopy may be performed. In a thoracoscopy, a physician makes a small cut into the chest wall and inserts a thin, lighted tube, a thoracoscope into the chest between two ribs. This procedure is used to allow the physician to see inside the chest wall and obtain tissue sample. If peritoneal mesothelioma is suspected, a doctor can similarly perform a laparoscopy to the abdomen.
Fortunately, mesothelioma is relatively rare form of cancer. About three thousand cases of malignant mesothelioma are diagnosed each year in the U.S. This is about three percent of all cancer diagnoses. However, people who have worked in environments containing asbestos should seek medical attention at the earliest warning signs. Early detection is the best chance for beating this malignant form of cancer.