As mentioned
in other pages, mesothelioma can be missed because its early symptoms can
resemble other illnesses such as pneumonia. Thus, a biopsy is generally
required to diagnose mesothelioma. Remember, mesothelioma or asbestos cancer
is a type of lung cancer, so a doctor should be seen if an individual has
- shortness
of breath
- pain in
the chest
- pain or
swelling in the abdomen
- a new cough
- a bloody
cough or a change in an existing cough
- pneumonia
- rib, shoulder
or bone pain
- hoarseness
- loss of
appetite and weight
- facial swelling
- headaches
If there
are symptoms, the doctor may order an x-ray of the chest or abdomen as
so:
To obtain
the final diagnosis, the patient might undergo:
- Chest
X-ray and CT scan. The X-ray gives a good picture of the chest cavity,
but a CT scan is also done because it shows the lung mass, lymph nodes
and the rest of the chest cavity in greater detail. These help evaluate
the extent of a lung mass and suggest the likelihood of cancer, but they
do not confirm the diagnosis of lung cancer. Confirmation requires a biopsy.
- MRI
(magnetic resonance imaging) test. This tool may be part of the evaluation
for a lung mass; however, it does not visualize the lung well.
- PET
(positron emission tomography) scan. This relatively new nuclear medicine
technique may be helpful in evaluating and staging a lung mass. If a lung
mass "lights up" on the PET scan, it usually indicates lung cancer.
If the mass does not light up, cancer is not likely to be present. The
test also evaluates the entire body to determine whether cancer has spread
to lymph nodes or other areas of the body.
Additionally,
the doctor may look inside the chest cavity with a special instrument called
a thoracoscope. A cut will be made through the chest wall and the thoracoscope
will be put into the chest between two ribs. This test, called thoracoscopy,
is usually done in the hospital. If tissue that is not normal is found,
the doctor will need to cut out a small piece (that's the biopsy) and have
it looked at under a microscope to see if there are any cancer cells.
If malignant
mesothelima is diagnosed, most likely it will be one of two varieties:
Localized
malignant mesothelioma:
- Stage I:
The cancer is found in the lining of the chest cavity near the lung and
heart or in the diaphragm or the lung.
Advanced
malignant mesothelioma:
- Stage II:
The cancer has spread beyond the lining of the chest to lymph nodes in
the chest.
- Stage III:
Cancer has spread into the chest wall, center of the chest, heart, through
the diaphragm, or abdominal lining, and in some cases into nearby lymph
nodes.
- Stage IV:
Cancer has spread to distant organs or tissues.
More online
resources for mesothelioma diagnosis can be found at:
Current
Therapy for Mesothelioma
The
role of Immunohistochemistry in the Differential Diagnosis of Soft-tissue
Tumors
Malignant
transformation of a well-differentiated peritoneal papillary mesothelioma
Malignant
transformation of "benign" cystic mesothelioma of the peritoneum
Diagnosing
Lung Cancer
Diagnosing
the lung cancer of mesothelioma is one thing. What are the treatment options?
It's time now for:
Next >
Chapter 5 - Mesothelioma Treatment
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