Initial Physical Examination

If an individual experiences any of the marked symptoms of mesothelioma, he or she should consult a medical doctor as soon as possible for a medical examination. The physical examination should focus primarily on the patient's lungs and abdomen.

The physician should especially be alerted by a buildup of fluid in the chest or abdominal areas, as this is a common symptom of mesothelioma. Additionally, doctors should pay close attention to the sound of a patient's lungs upon inhalation, as the lungs tend to exhibit a specific crackling sound when mesothelioma is present.

Diagnostic Tests

If a doctor suspects a patient may have mesothelioma, he will suggest that a lineage of diagnostic tests be performed. Such testing includes imaging tests, blood and fluid tests, and possibly tissue sampling.

Doctors will draw blood from a patient if they suspect the patient may have mesothelioma. The doctor will have the patient's blood tested for the existence of a protein called osteopontin. An elevated level of osetopontin cannot rule out the possibility of other adverse health conditions, but it should definitely raise a doctor's suspicion that mesothelioma may be present and prompt him to run further diagnostic tests on the patient.

Imaging tests may help determine the location, size, and extent of malignant mesothelioma. A chest x-ray may show irregular thickening of the lining of the lungs, calcium deposits on the lining, or fluid in the chest cavity.

A computed tomography (CT) scan may also be performed, as it has proved useful in the initial diagnosis of mesothelioma and in determining the stage a patient's cancer has reached. Using a procedure much like an x-ray machine able to circle one's body, a CT scan produces an image showing a detailed cross-section of a specific region of a patient's body. In order to get the most detailed image of an affected region of a patient's body, a CT scan may be performed a second time with the additional use of a radiocontrast agent. A radiocontrast agent is a non-harmful radioactive substance that is injected intravenously into a patient or consumed in liquid form, and acts as a short-lived dye within the body, outlining and highlighting internal structures on the resulting CT image.

Another imaging technique commonly performed to aid in the diagnosis of mesothelioma is a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. An MRI produces a more detailed cross-sectional image of the body than a CT scan, and can also produce parallel images of the length of the body. The image is created through the use of a computer that can translate the radio waves that are given off by the tissues of the body into detailed images of the body and its internal components.

An additional imaging test is based on the fact that cancer cells utilize sugar much more quickly than normal, healthy cells. In a positron emission tomography (PET) scan, a patient is injected with a radioactive sugar solution, which any present cancerous tissue is then likely to absorb. When the PET scan of the body is performed, the radioactive deposits can be seen, thus allowing doctors to determine whether once questionable tissue is cancerous or merely scar tissue. PET scans are also shown to be helpful in spotting the spread of malignant mesothelioma.

A doctor may also run fluid tests on patients who suffer from ascites (a buildup of fluid in the abdominal cavity) or a pleural effusion (fluid in the chest cavity). After the doctor removes the fluid by inserting a needle into the chest or abdominal cavity, the fluid will be viewed under a microscope to determine whether cancer cells are present. If cancer cells can be seen, further testing must be implemented in order to conclude that the cancer is mesothelioma or a different form of cancer.

When an imaging test or a physical examination raises the concern that a tumor has developed, a biopsy may be conducted in order to test the actual tissue in question. A tissue sample may be obtained in a number of ways, which depend upon the amount of tissue doctors need to remove. If a relatively small tissue sample must be removed, doctors can carry out the procedure by making a small incision in the patient's chest (during a thoracoscopy) or abdomen (laparoscopy). A flexible tube that is connected to a video camera is then inserted into the incision, allowing doctors to precisely locate the tissue that is to be obtained. The tissue is then removed with special forceps and will be tested by a pathologist to determine if it is cancerous.

If tumors are thought to be located along the patient's airway, a bronchoscopy may be ordered. During a bronchoscopy, a doctor will insert a flexible viewing tube down the patient's airway through the mouth. Once again, the camera attached to the tube will allow the doctor to seek out irregular tissue, remove it, and send it to a pathology laboratory for testing.

Additionally, if a doctor would like to determine whether a cancer has started to metastasize or needs to distinguish lung cancer from mesothelioma, he may call for a mediastinoscopy. During this procedure, a viewing tube is inserted through an incision under the sternum, allowing the doctor to view and remove lymph nodes in the chest.

More invasive surgery is typically required to remove larger tissue samples or the tumor itself. In such cases, either a thoracotomy (which opens the chest cavity) or a laparotomy (which opens the abdominal cavity) will be suggested.

Have You Been Diagnosed with Mesothelioma?

If you or a family member has been diagnosed with mesothelioma caused by exposure to asbestos, and you would like to speak to a professional about your legal rights, please fill out the free case evaluation. Once Seeger Weiss LLP receives you inquiry, a member of its experienced staff will contact you. Initial consultations are free of charge and do not create an attorney-client relationship. Seeger Weiss LLP maintains offices in New York and New Jersey and its attorneys are available to practice throughout the country.