Mesothelioma Diagnosis
In most cases, the initial diagnosis of mesothelioma is made by the patient’s primary care physician (PCP). He or she knows the patient’s medical and pharmaceutical history, habits, and lifestyle, and can more readily differentiate between mesothelioma symptoms and those of other diseases.
If the PCP suspects mesothelioma, he or she will most likely order one of three different types of diagnostic tests to “rule out” the disease. These three possible tests are:
- Non-Invasive Diagnostic Tests (e.g., X-rays, CT scans, MRIs, PET scans, etc.), which do not involve the removal of blood, body fluid or tissue samples
- Minimally Invasive Diagnostic Tests (e.g., fine needle biopsy) during which a technician will remove and examine small samples of the body’s fluids, such as tissue, blood, pleural fluid, and biologic markers
- Invasive Diagnostic Tests (e.g., biopsies) that involve taking larger tissue samples for examination under an electron microscope or with other tools
Even with these tools, mesothelioma remains more difficult to recognize when the disease is in its early and treatable stages. Tragically, many a mesothelioma diagnosis is made after it becomes too advanced to treat.
If you suspect you have mesothelioma, you should immediately report your symptoms to your primary care physician and submit yourself for evaluation.
