Mesothelioma is a cancer that commonly appears in people who have
been around asbestos at some time in their lives. The most common type
is pleural mesothelioma which occurs in the pleura or outer lining of
the lungs. It can be difficult to diagnose mesothelioma because it
shares the same symptoms as many other diseases.
The first step to diagnosing mesothelioma is with X-ray, CT scans, or
MRIs. If something unusual is detected, a biopsy will be needed. A
biopsy is when a surgeon or medical oncologist retrieves a sample of
tissue from the area that is believed to be cancerous.
This will usually be from an area of the lower lungs. It is
thoroughly examined by microscope by a pathologist. This isn?t as
painful as it sounds as the area is numbed and a very small instrument
takes the physical sample.
If it ends up being true mesothelioma, the doctor then needs to learn
what stage it?s in. This requires more scans and testing to see how
large the cancerous growth is and helps determine the best route to take
in regards to treatment.
