Mesothelioma Diagnosis

______________________________________________________________________________   

Diagnosing mesothelioma is often difficult, because the symptoms are similar to those of a number of other conditions.  Mesothelioma diagnosis begins with a review of the patient's medical history, including any history of asbestos exposure.   

The Need for a Complete Physical, CAT Scan, or MRI

A complete physical examination may be performed, including x-rays of the chest or abdomen and lung function tests. A CT (or CAT) scan or an MRI may also be useful.

A CT scan is a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body created by a computer linked to an x-ray machine. In an MRI, a powerful magnet linked to a computer is used to make detailed pictures of areas inside the body.  These pictures are viewed on a monitor and can also be printed.  A biopsy, however, is needed to confirm a diagnosis of mesothelioma.

In a biopsy, a surgeon or a medical oncologist (a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating cancer) removes a sample of tissue for examination under a microscope by a pathologist. 

A biopsy may be done in different ways, depending on where the abnormal growth area is located.  If the cancer is in the chest, the doctor may perform a thoracoscopy.

Thoracoscopy involves the insertion of an endoscope, a narrow-diameter tube with a viewing mirror or camera attachment, through a very small incision (cut) in the chest wall.  Thoracoscopy makes it possible for a physician to examine the lungs or other structures in the chest cavity, without making a large incision. 

Thoracoscopy is an alternative to thoracotomy (opening the chest cavity with a large incision).  Many surgical procedures, especially taking tissue samples (biopsies), can also be accomplished with thoracoscopy.

The Difficulties of Mesothelioma Diagnose

Mesothelioma diagnose is often difficult for the following two reasons.

1. Its symptoms are quite similar to those of a number of other common condition conditions.  Even some physicians find it hard to detect mesothelioma because its symptoms are not dissimilar to other diseases like lung cancer and pneumonia.
2. It can take decades for a patient who was exposed to asbestos to develop mesothelioma—in some instances fifty years or more!  Many times mesothelioma is diagnosed too late, when treatment methods have lost their effectiveness.

Mesothelioma Tests: The First Blood Test for Mesothelioma

Concerning mesothelioma tests, in November, 2003, the first ever blood test for mesothelioma has been devised as reported by Pacific North-West Research Institute (PNRI). A PNRI team led by Dr. Ingegerd Hellstrom, and an Australian team, led by Dr. Bruce Robinson, of the University of Western Australia conducted the research.

This research is based on the fact that mesothelioma cells release tumor markers called SMR (soluble mesothelin-related) proteins.  Researchers have identified this group of markers and have developed a test to detect them with great specificity.

In blood samples gathered from 273 individuals, researchers found that 84% of those with mesothelioma exhibited high levels of SMR.  Only 1.9% of those with other forms of cancer or lung disease had any increased SMR, and patients who were healthy and had not been exposed to asbestos showed no biomarker increase.

Obviously, developing mesothelioma tests for diagnosing this disease is critical due to the following:  the earlier mesothelioma can be identified and diagnosed, the more successful the treatment. 

"This is a very important breakthrough in the diagnosis and treatment of mesothelioma,"  Hellstrom explains. "Currently, no blood test exists to detect this cancer and the new biomarker will help doctors see the disease that so far has required much more complicated and expensive tests, and that even then has often gone undetected."

Should You Proceed with a Mesothelioma Diagnosis?

Two important questions you should answer before you go ahead with a mesothelioma diagnosis are the following: Have you been exposed to asbestos?  (Although not all the mesothelioma cases are direct results of asbestos exposure there is a strong association between the two).  Do you experience mesothelioma symptoms?

If the diagnosis is mesothelioma, the doctor will want to learn the stage (or extent) of the disease.  Staging involves more tests in a careful attempt to find out whether the cancer has spread and, if so, to which parts of the body. Knowing the stage of the disease helps the doctor plan treatment.

Once your mesothelioma cancer doctor has made a definitive diagnosis, he/she will then be able to tell you which type of mesothelioma cancer you have, the stage the mesothelioma cancer is in, whether it has spread to surrounding organs, or whether it is contained within the original area of the disease.

Your mesothelioma doctor will then discuss the treatment options that are related to the type of mesothelioma cancer that you have and what stage the cancer is in.  Your mesothelioma doctor will also explain your treatment options in detail, including any side affects as well as the probable recovery period.

The Four Stages of Mesothelioma

The progression of mesothelioma is broken down to four stages.  These stages provide a baseline to predict how far along the cancer has spread.  Staging is based on x-rays, CT scans, and MRI imaging.  Treatment decisions and prognosis depend upon the stage of the mesothelioma, as well as the kind if mesothelioma.

In the first stage, mesothelioma is present in the pleura, lung, pericardium, or diaphragm, and is localized to one side of the body.  Mesothelioma invades the chest wall or the esophagus during the second stage. In the second stage, cancer may also seen in the heart area, on both sides of the pleura, or in the lymph nodes in the chest. 

The third stage involves penetration through the diaphragm and into the peritoneum and the cancer spreading to more distant lymph nodes.  The fourth and final stage occurs when tests provide evidence of metastases in distant organs.  Within the fourth stage, the mesothelioma spreads through the bloodstream to these new areas.

Hopefully, various diagnostic tools such as the above referenced blood test for mesothelioma will help doctors diagnose malignant mesothelioma at the earliest stage possible so that this disease can be treated more effectively, less painfully, and in a less costly manner.

Mesothelioma Diagnosis:  Conclusion

As discussed above, diagnosing mesothelioma is frequently difficult due to the fact that its symptoms are similar to those of a number of other illnesses and conditions. 

Mesothelioma diagnosis begins with a review of the patient's medical history, including any history of asbestos exposure.  Unfortunately, a biopsy is needed to confirm a diagnosis of mesothelioma.

______________________________________________