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The first step for diagnosis that a health professional takes questionay the patient for an asbestos related disease is to obtain a full medical history to determine the level and severity of risk factors and presenting symptoms. Through interview the doctor actually considers where the patient was exposed to asbestos, the length of exposure and the amount of asbestos that he was exposed to. He/she must perform a medical exam for detailed signs and symptoms of various forms of mesothelioma. For example, for pleural mesothelioma the doctor will look for fluid in the chest, for peritoneal mesothelioma fluid in the abdomen
Chest x-rays are used to identify abnormalities in the lungs including unusual thickening, mineral deposits and fluid in the chest area. Depending on the report doctor determines the stage of mesothelioma. Diagnostic image tests like x-rays, CT scans and MRI's are useful in determining more information about the cancer including how far it is progressed. CT scans are capable of providing images of the same location from many different angles. MRI technology uses magnetic fields rather than x-ray to provide additional views.
In case of presence of fluid build-up in the chest, abdomen or heart area, doctor seek to obtain a sample. To accomplish this he/she will use a long needle to obtain fluid from the target area. The fluid will then be sent to the lab for analysis. A bronchoscopy procedure may be recommended for patients who are suspected of having pleural mesothelioma. For this medical test, a soft tube illuminates the trachea and bronchi to determine if any masses are present in the airways. If deemed necessary, the technician my take sample of tissue that appears to be abnormal for further testing.
For lymph node involvement patients need to undergo a mediastinoscopy. This procedure is similar to a bronchoscopy in that a soft tube enters the body under the chest bone and illuminates the chest area. Thus the doctor examines lymph nodes for abnormalities, detects how far disease may have progressed and when necessary help diagnose lung cancer vs. mesothelioma.
