Diagnosing Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is difficult to diagnose because the symptoms may be confused with other illnesses.  It's also challenging because it is a rare disease affecting only about 3000 people each year and medical providers may not be familiar it.  Only an MD can properly diagnose mesothelioma, lung cancer, or an asbestos-related illness, but you can educate yourself about the disease and some of the tests used to diagnose it.  I encourage my clients to consult a physician with experience in the evaluation and management of asbestos-related disease because they have additional training and keep up with advancements in this area.   At this time there is not a standard test used to diagnose mesothelioma.  I hope that with increased research we will get to that point someday.  Currently medical providers use a series of tests and a full history to diagnose mesothelioma, lung cancer, and other asbestos-related illness.   Providing a complete history of asbestos exposure and any family history of asbestos -related disease will help your doctor to make an accurate diagnosis.   Your doctor may use a combination of the following tests to make a diagnosis: Chest x-ray Abdominal x-ray Chest CT scan (computerized axial tomography) Abdominal CT scan Chest MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) Abdominal MRI Pulmonary function tests Biopsy of lung tissue or peritoneal tissue PET scan Thoracentesis – a procedure where a needle is inserted into the chest to drain accumulated fluid using gentle suction. This fluid can be tested for the presence of cancer cells. Video-Assisted Thorascopic Surgery (VATS) – a minimally invasive procedure performed while the patient is under general anesthesia, where several small incisions or "ports" are made through the chest wall. The surgeon then inserts a small camera, via a scope, into one incision, and other surgical instruments used to retrieve tissue samples into the other incisions. By looking at a video screen showing the camera images, the surgeon is able to complete whatever procedures are necessary.  Biopsies can be obtained this way. Thoracoscopy – a procedure where a small incision is made into the chest wall, and a scope is inserted to look inside the chest cavity. Peritoneoscopy– a procedure where the physician looks inside the abdomen with a special tool called a peritoneoscope. This scope is put into an opening made in the abdomen. This test is usually done in the hospital under a local anesthetic. Paracentesis – a procedure where a needle is placed into the abdomen to drain accumulated fluid from the abdominal cavity using gentle suction.

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