How do you diagnosis mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma diagnosis is often very difficult because symptoms take time to develop and are similar to other conditions. For both pleural mesothelioma diagnosis and peritoneal mesothelioma diagnosis, a thorough review of the patient’s history and asbestos exposure is critical.

During mesothelioma diagnosis, if a doctor suspects mesothelioma of the lungs, one of the first steps towards diagnosis would be obtaining a chest x-ray. While an x-ray normally cannot show mesothelioma, it can show pleural effusions that are sometimes associated with the disease. An MRI or a CAT scan may also be obtained, and these are useful in estimating lung size and determining whether there is cancer.

Once mesothelioma diagnosis by biopsy is obtained of either peritoneal or pleural mesothelioma, the next step taken would be determining the stage (or severity) of the disease. More specialized tests are needed to determine the staging as treatment depends on the extent to which the disease has spread. Localized mesothelioma, the first stage, is considered to be present when the cancer is only found in one area of the body, where the disease originated. Advanced mesothelioma is a metastatic cancer, which means that it has spread to other areas of the body from where it began, usually first to lymph nodes, lungs, abdominal organs, or the chest wall.

While mesothelioma diagnosis is difficult, once it a patient has been diagnosed with mesothelioma there are several treatment options available. Choosing a physician who is knowledgeable in this area is the first step to receiving the right treatment at the right time.

Mesothelioma information source: http://www.mesohelp.net/mesothelioma-diagnosis.php

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