How do medical professionals diagnose mesothelioma?
If you believe that you may have mesothelioma, a qualified medical professional will use a variety of diagnostic tests and methods to confirm the presence of this disease.
The initial step that doctors take to evaluate asbestos-related diseases is to get a complete medical history to determine the severity and mesothelioma risk factors and whether there are symptoms experienced by the patient.
This interview would consider several things, where asbestos exposure occurred, the length of exposure and the number / lot inhaled asbestos. In addition, he will conduct a medical examination to look for signs and symptoms of various types of mesothelioma. For example, if a patient is suspected of having pleural mesothelioma doctor will look for fluid in the chest, peritoneal mesothelioma is often seen by the presence of fluid in the abdomen and pericardial mesothelioma can be known by the presence of fluid in the heart area.
Diagnostic Tests
Scan Imaging
Test diagnostic images such as x-ray, CT scan and MRI are useful in getting more information about cancer, including how far the cancer develops. Each method provides an overview of information for physicians to assist patients in making an accurate diagnosis. Chest x - rays are used to identify abnormalities in the lungs including unusual thickening, mineral deposits and fluid in the chest area. CT scans are able to provide images of the same location from different angles. MRI technology uses magnetic fields rather than x - ray to provide additional views.
X-ray is the mechanism that is used not only for the diagnosis of cancer but for many respiratory disorders are diverse, including bronchitis and pneumonia. However, given that respiratory symptoms is almost the same as the symptoms for patients with malignant mesothelioma, often x - ray chest is an imaging technique that was first used in the diagnosis of mesothelioma. X - rays are very adept at identifying the proliferation of fluid in the pleural cavity, the symptoms of mesothelioma is known as pleural effusion. If the effusion is detected in the pleural cavity, doctors often recommend to perform a surgical biopsy to test fluid malignant mesothelioma cells.
CT Scan - Computer Tomography scans, or better known as a CT scan, is a common method used to look for tumors in the body and determine the extent of disease. Doctors will often prescribe a CT scan if a person is suspected of suffering from mesothelioma because this method is more detailed than traditional x-ray. CT scans provide cross sectional imaging of internal body structures that can be reconstructed on the computer monitor.
MRI - magnetic resonance Pictures, more commonly referred to as MRI is a non-invasive method used to diagnose mesothelioma in a person's body. MRI uses magnetic fields and radio frequency signals, transmits them to the computer. Traditional MRI equipment consists of a cylinder in which patient is lying down. MRI does not pose a risk to the patient, although some people argue that the enclosed space uncomfortable. These patients may request a mild sedative so as to enable them to remain still and quiet during the procedure.
PET Scan - Positron Emission Tomography, or PET scan is known as nuclear medicine diagnostic techniques. Nuclear medicine use and incorporate a small amount of radioactive material into the body (in this case, intravenously) to help doctors determine whether the body is functioning properly or not. PET scans in patients with mesothelioma is often used in conjunction with CT scans. PET scans can be very helpful in determining whether the cancer has spread beyond the point of origin.
Biopsy
A biopsy is an important diagnostic procedure recommended by doctors for patients with signs and symptoms of mesothelioma who have a history of asbestos exposure. Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy is less invasive types that can be done. FNA biopsy can be performed on pleural based solid lesions, or cancer-related fluids can be extracted through a syringe and then tested for the presence of malignant cells. Having found no malignant cells, cancer specialist will determine the classification of cellular malignancy and whether the malignant cells is mesothelioma.
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Needle biopsy - considered less invasive biopsy procedures. Generally, the larger biopsy cancerous tissue is generally recommended for patients suspected of suffering from mesothelioma, such as core biopsy. This can be done as a biopsy CT - guided from the outside of the chest, or sometimes carried small lung surgery - assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS), where surgeons use small surgical tools with cameras and equipment biopsy to look inside the chest along the surface of the pleura (pleuroscopy) with a minimally invasive approach. It is often helpful and necessary for a surgeon to perform the operation and direct thoracoscopic biopsy to confirm the diagnosis of nodules.
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Surgical biopsy - a surgical biopsy is a procedure that is much broader than the biopsy needle. However, this procedure is sometimes necessary to make a definite diagnosis of mesothelioma. Surgical biopsy can be very useful if the diagnosis has been established. Once the cancer is effectively staged, treatment recommendations can be made based on the best-case scenario for each patient's condition.
