How do medical professionals diagnose mesothelioma?
If you think you may have mesothelioma, a qualified medical professional will use a variety of tests and diagnostic methods to confirm the presence of the disease.
The first step that mesothelioma doctors will evaluate a related disease asbestos is a complete medical history to determine the level and severity of risk factors for mesothelioma and mesothelioma symptoms. This interview will take into account, inter alia, where there was exposure to asbestos, exposure time and the amount of asbestos that you were exposed.
In addition, he / she will do a physical exam to look for signs and symptoms of different types of mesothelioma. For example, if pleural mesothelioma is suspected the doctor will look for fluid in the chest, peritoneal mesothelioma often shows fluid in the abdomen and pericardial mesothelioma presents with fluid in the heart area.
Diagnostic Tests
Other imaging
Diagnostic imaging tests like X-rays, CT scans and MRI are useful for more information about cancer, including how it is progressing. Each method provides another piece of information from your doctor so that he / she help establish an accurate diagnosis. Chest radiographs are used to identify abnormalities in the lungs including unusual thickening of minerals and liquid deposits in the chest area. CT scans are capable of providing images of the same location from many different angles. MRI technology uses magnetic fields instead of x-rays to provide additional views.
PET Scan - Positron emission tomography, more commonly called PET scan is a diagnostic nuclear medicine. Nuclear medicine involves introducing a small amount of radioactive material in the body (in this case, intravenously) to help doctors determine if the body is functioning properly. PET in mesothelioma patients are often used in combination with CT. PET may be particularly useful in determining whether the cancer has metastasized beyond its point of origin.
CT Scan - Computed tomography or CT, as it is often called, is a commonly used method to locate the tumor in the body and determine the extent of the disease. Doctors often prescribe a scanner if suspected of mesothelioma, because it provides more detail than a conventional radiography. The scanner provides cross-sectional images of internal body structures that can be built on a computer screen.
MRI - magnetic resonance imaging, more commonly known as MRI, is a noninvasive method for the diagnosis of mesothelioma used in the body. MRI uses a magnetic field and pulses of radio frequency field for transmission to a computer. Conventional MRI equipment consists of a cylinder within which the patient is located. MRI does not pose a risk to patients, although some of them uncomfortable confined spaces. These patients may request a mild allow them to remain still and quiet during the procedure sedative.
X-Ray - An x-ray is a common mechanism used not only for diagnosis of cancer, but for many different respiratory conditions, including bronchitis and pneumonia. However, since these respiratory symptoms mimic those of malignant mesothelioma, often a chest radiograph is the first imaging technique used in the diagnosis of mesothelioma. X-rays are particularly suitable to identify the fluid in the pleural cavity proliferation, mesothelioma symptom known as pleural effusion. If the release is detected in the pleural cavity, doctors usually prescribe a surgical biopsy to examine fluid cells of malignant mesothelioma.